Malaria and blood donation

Most likely, yes. Even if prevention methods such as anti-malarial drugs, topical mosquito repellant or insecticide treated bed nets were used during your travels, the chances of exposure to malaria cannot be eliminated.

Your waiting period to donate whole blood or platelets will depend on the length of your stay in certain regions which is related to your likelihood of exposure. The chance of having an unrecognized infection diminishes over time. 

• If your stay was less than one day, you may be able to donate depending on where you were.   
• If your stay was less than six (6) months, you will need to wait three (3) months from the date you left a malaria-endemic region.   
• If your stay was six (6) months or more, you will need to wait three (3) years.

If your visit lasted less than 24 hours, please call us at 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283) to discuss your eligibility. 

For more information, visit the malaria-endemic regions page.

Yes, someone with a history of malaria can donate source plasma six months after recovery and if all other eligibility are met. However, whole blood or platelets cannot be donated. The parasites that cause malaria can lie dormant for decades. This means that no matter how much time has passed, there remains a small chance that someone who has had a malaria infection at some point in their lives may still carry malaria parasites in their blood. Even just one malaria parasite in donated blood can lead to malaria being transmitted to the blood recipient, which could cause severe illness and even death.

For this reason, people who have had malaria are not eligible to donate whole blood or platelets. However, they may be able to donate plasma used to manufacture lifesaving medications, stems cells, organs and/or tissues (see below for more information).

Canada’s blood supply is recognized as one of the safest in the world. One reason we have such a safe blood system, is because of the layering of a donor screening questionnaire with donation testing. Every donation is tested for an array of infections that could be transmitted by blood transfusion. But no test is perfect, and there are some infections for which there is no test.

Unfortunately, at this time, there is no Health Canada-approved blood donor screening test available. In the absence of an available test in Canada, we rely on thorough donor eligibility assessments based on possible exposures. However, we are striving to evaluate and implement a nucleic acid test (NAT) that will determine if a person has any infectious malaria parasites in their blood at the time of donation.

Of note, there is a significant difference between the blood screening tests (licensed by Health Canada) that we use at Canadian Blood Services to detect transfusion-transmitted infectious agents, and the clinical diagnostic tests that are used by doctors to establish the presence (or absence) of disease. This is because blood donor screening tests are designed to screen a generally healthy population, not a patient with symptoms and therefore the pathogen detection ranges have different standards.

A nucleic acid test (NAT) is a method of testing blood, currently used by Canadian Blood Services to detect pathogens such as Hepatitis C, HIV-1, and West Nile Virus in blood. NAT helps enhance the safety of the blood supply by detecting pathogens, which can cause infections or diseases. 

This type of test differs from the antibody tests we use at Canadian Blood Services to screen blood donations. Antibody tests look for signs of past infections in the donor's proteins as opposed to the presence of the pathogen.  

Currently, there is no Health Canada-approved test available that can screen blood donors for malaria antibodies, or by NAT. Once a test has been licensed by Health Canada, we will evaluate the testing performance and if appropriate seek regulatory approval to implement it as an enhanced blood safety measure in the donation process. 

People who have recovered from malaria more than six months ago may be eligible to donate source plasma, which is used to make lifesaving medications. Plasma contains important substances, including proteins that are vital for our immune systems, and for healing and blood clotting. 

When plasma is collected, red blood cells are removed. Malaria parasites infect red blood cells, so their removal during the plasma collection process also reduces the risk of transmission. Subsequently, when the collected plasma is treated and processed to make valuable medications, infectious agents that cause malaria (including parasites) are inactivated. 

Becoming a plasma donor can make a lifesaving difference for patients across Canada who depend on medicines made from donated plasma. These specialized medicines help treat a variety of rare, life-threatening conditions. Learn more about how your donated plasma touches the lives of patients and their families. 

If you are interested in making a source plasma donation or have any questions about your eligibility to donate, please call us 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283) for more information. 

The stem cell donation eligibility and selection processes involve additional screening and individual assessment by a physician. In this setting, clinicians have greater flexibility to tailor their decisions to the unique needs of each patient, considering the characteristics of individual donors. 

Bone marrow is where our body makes blood. Stem cells in the bone marrow make all types of blood and immune cells. For some blood diseases and disorders, including blood cancers (leukemia) and other red cell diseases like sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, a stem cell transplant can offer a cure, or be a lifesaving therapy. A stem cell donation from a healthy donor gives the recipient’s body the ability to make new immune and blood cells, allowing them to recover. For many recipients, a stem cell transplant may be their best and only hope of returning to good health. 

When a stem cell donor who has fully recovered from malaria is matched to a specific patient requiring a stem cell transplant, the donor is asked to complete an extensive health history form. This form includes questions about travel, history of residence and history of malaria. This information is then provided to the hospital-based stem cell transplant team, who independently assesses the eligibility of each donor (this includes an in-person assessment with a physician). Based on these assessments, the recipient and their transplant team will then be able to weigh the risks and benefits of receiving lifesaving stem cells. 

The organ donation eligibility and selection processes involve additional screening and individual assessment by a physician. In this setting, clinicians have greater flexibility to tailor their decisions to the unique needs of each patient, considering the characteristics of individual donors. 

As malaria parasites can lay dormant for extended periods of time within blood cells and the liver, the risk of malaria transmission will be different for each organ/tissue. The recipient and their transplant team will weigh the risks and benefits of receiving organs and tissues. 

Like the process for stem cell donation, organ and tissue donors are assessed independently by a transplant team. The assessment process involves extensive screening questions and an in-person assessment with a physician. Each situation is different, and the final decision on suitability is made in consultation with the attending physician and the recipient. 

Canadian Blood Services looks at patterns of disease and risk specific to Canada. 

To ensure the safety of the blood supply, each country and jurisdiction around the world makes region-specific decisions about the risks and benefits of various criteria, based on their local context. There is no uniform approach to malaria screening amongst blood operators around the world. Our blood donor eligibility criteria are developed within a strict, evidence-informed regulatory framework that focuses on product quality and recipient safety. 

Safeguarding against transfusion-transmitted infections starts with a deep, research-informed understanding of how an illness occurs, which includes geographical distribution patterns. Every time someone donates blood, we ask about where they may have previously lived or travelled. This is because the places someone has lived in, or travelled to, can increase their chances of exposure to infectious agents that may be transmitted to recipients through blood transfusions.  

Canadian Blood Services uses the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) malaria information to determine which regions have occurrences of malaria that are high enough to require medications to prevent infection. Based on CDC publications, we know that malaria transmission occurs disproportionately in certain regions within sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South America. Unfortunately, this means that donor deferrals for malaria disproportionately impact people who have travelled to, or lived in, these regions. The list of regions where the chances of acquiring malaria may be greatest can be found here. 

We truly empathize that being turned away from donating blood may leave donors with a sense of frustration and disappointment. 

We understand there are lasting consequences of past and current eligibility criteria, and we are undertaking work to further understand and address the impact of these criteria on people from regions where malaria is endemic.    

This engagement work involves addressing barriers to donation and building relationships based on trust and reciprocity. We know this is complex work that will take many years, but we are committed to fostering more positive and inclusive donation experiences for all donors. 

Canadian Blood Services has reviewed alternative approaches to manage the impact of malaria on the blood system. We are striving to implement a nucleic acid test (NAT) for malaria as part of the donor screening process. This test will determine if a prospective donor has any infectious malaria pathogens in their blood at the time of donation. 

Currently, there is no Health Canada-approved test available that can screen blood donors for malaria antibodies, or by NAT. Once a test has been licensed by Health Canada, evaluate the testing performance and if appropriate we will seek regulatory approval to implement it as an enhanced blood safety measure in the donation process. 

Once implemented, we hope that a barrier to donation will be removed for many prospective donors from Black and South Asian communities. Currently, people from Black and South Asian communities are disproportionately impacted by donor screening processes for malaria. This is because malaria transmission occurs where a specific mosquito resides, which is mostly in certain regions of Africa and South Asia. 

We have learned, through a dedicated engagement process with individuals and communities most impacted by the current eligibility criteria for malaria, that the implementation of NAT for malaria would be a meaningful change. 

A report has been developed summarizing the outcomes of the recently concluded assessment of current risk mitigation strategies for transfusion-transmitted malaria and potential alternative approaches that continue to protect the safety of the blood supply. The report can be found here. 

Our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) team is leading critical work to build a culture of psychologically safe and racially-just environments at Canadian Blood Services for equity-deserving groups. This work involves establishing culturally-safe policies, procedures, and other institutional practices to address existing barriers to donation at Canadian Blood Services. Importantly, these efforts involve working closely with internal and external stakeholders to co-create equity-based strategies that will maximize donor and registrant inclusion.