PARTNERS

• Council of Europe
• International Council for Standardisation in Haematology (ICSH)
• International Federation of Blood Donor Organisations (IFBDO)
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFCRS)
• International Society of Heamatology (ISH)
• World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH)
• World Health Organisation (WHO)

Representative: Mr. Jean-Marc Spieser

Within the Council of Europe, which deals with human rights, education, youth, social questions and legal affairs in 40 countries in Europe, there is a sector devoted to Health Policies.

In the Health Sector there is the Committee of Experts in Blood Transfusion and Immunohaematology (SP-HM) created in 1962.

Objectives

• promotion of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation
• availability of blood products of rare groups
• rational use of blood products
• quality assurance and control
• European self-sufficiency in blood products

Activities

• the preparation of agreements, resolutions or recommendations on the transfer and use of blood on a non-commercial basis, mutual assistance and technical co-operation
• the organisation of periodical courses and workshops in blood transfusion medicine and science
• the operation of the Council of Europe Bank of Frozen Blood at the Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Amsterdam
• the assistance to Central and Eastern European countries for re-structuring blood transfusion services and assuring the provision of plasma products

International Council for Standardisation in Haematology (ICSH)

Representative: Vacancy

ICSH is the standardising authority of the International Society of Haematology and has an official relationship with WHO as a non-governmental organisation.

Terms of Reference

• to consider applications of Molecular Biology in Haematology and Transfusion Medicine
• to develop appropriate standards for use in nucleic acid amplification techniques (NAT) and genome amplification tests (GAT) e.g. PCR
• to develop standard methods for performing NAT and GAT

Representative: Mr. Niels Mikkelsen

The aims of the Federation are:
Article III - AIMS

1. to promote the regular, anonymous, voluntary, non-remunerated, gift of blood in all countries of the world
2. to work towards meeting the needs for high quality human blood and blood products in every country, in co-operation with the competent bodies
3. to ensure that ways and means are applied guaranteeing the safety of blood of both the donor and the receiver
4. to combat all forms of marketing and gain with respect to blood and blood derivatives, under the principle that the human body is inalienable
5. to participate in all studies, activities, discussions or events related either to the organisation of blood transfusion and blood donor associations or to knowledge and research in transfusion techniques
6. to approach, together with the representative group in a country and whenever circumstances require, the national and the international governmental bodies and public opinion with a view to promoting the voluntary, non-remunerated gift of blood, respect for the ethics of donation and respect for the altruism of the blood donor.

To this effect:

• it shall bring together representative groups of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors in each country, with no political, ethnic or religious bar
• it shall encourage and support the creation of organisations of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors in countries where they do not already exist
• it shall ensure the promotion of altruism of the voluntary, non-remunerated blood donor
• it shall promote friendly relations and co-operation through twinning and the establishment of regular ties, among the member organisations
• it shall take part in international blood transfusion bodies and shall help them and co-operate with them
• it shall organise world congresses at which, apart from its specific work, scientific and technical subjects related to the gift of blood and blood transfusion are introduced and discussed with the medical body
• its Executive Council shall represent blood donors on a permanents basis everywhere and ensure their interests are defended

Representative: Mr. Peter Carolan

Objectives

The purpose of the Blood Department is:

• to promote and defend the principle of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation, according to the Resolutions and Decisions of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
• to actively promote development and quality programmes within Red Cross and Red Crescent World services as set out in the Federation's Development and Quality manuals
• to serve as a source of information on organisation, methodology, management and training in transfusion medicine for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the staff of the Secretariat
• to assist and support Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, other non-governmental organisations and, when appropriate, Health Authorities in the development and maintenance of their blood programme activities
• to establish and maintain external relations which can provide assistance to Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Blood Department

Activities

• the provision of guidance and training in the fields of promoting voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation and blood donor recruitment
• organisation of occasional colloquia on blood donor motivation, recruitment and retention
• to assess requests for assistance and to facilitate the finding of resources for technical, professional and financial support
• the provision of training in quality procedures within Red Cross and Red Crescent World Services
• the provision of consultation and information services on technical and organisational aspects of blood programme activities
• publication of the newsletter Transfusion International and other documents
• to co-operate with other international and professional organisations in the field of transfusion medicine

Representative: Vacancy

The ISH was founded in 1946 in Dallas, Texas and the official language is English.

Objectives

• to promote and foster worldwide the exchange and diffusion of information and ideas relating to blood and blood forming tissues
• to provide a forum for discussion of haematological problems worldwide
• to ensure scientific investigation of haematological problems
• to promote the advancement of haematology and its recognition as a branch of the biological sciences
• to attempt to standardise internationally haematological methods and nomenclature
• to promote a better understanding of the scientific principles of haematology
• to foster a better understanding of and greater interest in haematological problems among scientific investigators

Representative: Dr. Paul F.L. Giangrande

Mission

• an international not-for-profit organisation
• dedicated to introducing, improving and maintaining care for persons with hemophilia and related disorders;
• uses the medical and lay expertise of committed volunteers to help member organisations, healthcare providers and governments to deliver quality care

Programme Activities

• Operation Access - a three year project to establish a national hemophilia healthcare programme
• Operation Improvement - hands-on training to make significant and long-term improvements in several aspects of hemophilia care in selected countries
• International Hemophilia Training Centre Fellowships - training in basic clinical treatment and laboratory diagnosis to physicians and paramedical staff through an international network of accredited IHTC centres
• Workshops - volunteer faculties of hemophilia specialists address key aspects of care and treatment in regional or national workshops
• Surgical Program - brings to selected countries volunteer medical specialists and donated products for orthopedic surgery programs for persons with hemophilia
• Treatment Centre Twinning - treatment centres in developing countries are linked with more experienced centres to help increase the levels of diagnosis, comprehensive care and support for people with hemophilia
• Hemophilia Organisation Twinning - the WFH acts as a catalyst to encourage hemophilia organisations around the world to team up with their counterparts who have less resources and share expertise
• WFH Publications and Web Site - WFH products and distributes a range of educational publications that are adapted to the needs of the various target groups in the hemophilia community.

Objectives

The mission of the WHO's Blood Safety Unit (BLS) is to assist WHO Member States to ensure a blood supply that is:

• as safe as possible
• accessible at reasonable cost
• adequate to meet the needs of patients
• is used appropriately

ISBT has been admitted into official relations with WHO in 1955 as non-governmental organisation.

Activities

• to develop strategies and guidelines for blood and blood products safety on policy, planning, legal instruments, technical and self-sufficiency issues
• to raise international awareness on issues of blood safety, to encourage global collaboration and co-operation in blood safety
• to assist in identifying potential financial aid and to facilitate multilateral and bilateral funding for blood programmes
• to promote through advocacy at the national level, the development of nationally coordinated blood programmes based on voluntary non-remunerated blood donation, screening of all donated blood, the appropriate use of blood, and good manufacturing practice at all stages of blood collection, testing, storage and distribution
• to encourage training for all blood programme staff and the prescribers of blood and blood products to ensure their appropriate use
• to implement appropriate operational research to improve blood safety, (ie simple cost-effective viral inactivation procedures, testing procedures and blood salvage devices)
• to support national control authorities to develop capacity in the evaluation and control of plasma derived medicinal products
• to develop and establish international biological standards and reference reagents for blood products and related biologicals