International Plasma Awareness Week is Oct. 4 - 8: Spotlighting the Urgent Need for Lifesaving Plasma Donations

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA), a global industry trade association, is proud to celebrate International Plasma Awareness Week (IPAW), which runs from October 4 – 8. During IPAW, now in its ninth year, PPTA is encouraging individuals, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and community members to "Pair Up for Plasma" and help increase plasma donations across the U.S.

Each year, more than 125,000 individuals in the U.S. require plasma treatments for conditions that include immune and bleeding disorders, as well as countless others who rely on plasma for emergency medicine, shock, trauma, and complicated surgeries. Meanwhile, total yearly plasma donations countrywide have decreased by nearly 20 percent in 2020, compared to 2019.  

PPTA, together with its member companies and patient stakeholder groups, is committed to raising awareness of the importance of source plasma collection and the great need, especially given the decline in donations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Plasma—the straw-colored, liquid portion of blood—contains proteins necessary for carrying out critical functions in the human body, such as antibodies to fight diseases. If a person has insufficient levels of any one plasma protein, his or her body cannot carry out these vital functions, causing a variety of chronic and life-threatening medical conditions. 

In addition to helping adults and children with rare, chronic diseases, plasma protein therapies are also used in the treatment of burns, trauma, organ transplants, cancer, and other immune disorders.

"The coronavirus pandemic has greatly impacted our ability to collect plasma for people in need," said Amy Efantis, president and CEO of PPTA. "During IPAW, we want to gain a greater widespread understanding of the importance of plasma, and reinforce that there is a year-round need for donations," she continued. "Through our very first Pair Up for Plasma campaign, we are encouraging potential donors to engage in an act of kindness and generosity, and contribute to saving and improving lives across the country, by donating their plasma. And by bringing someone along to donate with them, they can double their impact." 

Pair Up for Plasma challenges adults 18 years of age and older to bring a friend or family member to donate plasma in their region or state, to spread the word about their donation on social media using the hashtag #PairUpForPlasma, and to tag a friend with a challenge to donate plasma, too. Plasma collection is a safe and sanitary process conducted in compliance with CDC guidelines, as well as local public health mandates. For more information and to find a donation center near you, visit  www.GivingPlasma.org 

Amber Keathley started with a goal of donating plasma 10 times to honor her mother, who received plasma to help combat a rare auto-immune disease. When she learned plasma treatments actually take hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of donations, she decided to keep on giving.

"Plasma is where the antibodies are, and we can't synthetically produce it, so we rely on people to give [plasma]," said Keathley, a plasma donor and advocate. "It's a resource we all have that we can contribute to others and pay it forward," she continued. "Pair Up for Plasma, grab a friend, give together, and help us reach 100,000 donations."

"On January 28th, 2001, my son was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome after ten days of rapid physical decline and mobility," said Lisa Butler, Executive Director, GBS|CIDP Foundation International. "He was admitted to ICU, diagnosed and was treated with Immune Globulin, a plasma product. My entire family was given a gift; the lifesaving gift of plasma donation. Source plasma is used to manufacture lifesaving bio-medications for people living with rare, serious, and chronic diseases and will allow those individuals to live normal, healthy lives," she continued. "During IPAW, all of us at the GBS|CIDP Foundation International would like to extend our deepest appreciation to all Source plasma donors."

About PPTA
The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA), a global industry trade association, represents the private sector manufacturers of plasma-derived and recombinant analog therapies, collectively known as plasma protein therapies, and the collectors of source plasma used for fractionation. Millions of people use these therapies worldwide to treat a variety of diseases and serious medical conditions. PPTA also administers standards and programs that help ensure the quality and safety of plasma collection and manufacturing, protecting donors and patients.

SOURCE Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association

Related Links

http://www.givingplasma.org