Credit: Luxembourg Red Cross
On Thursday 5 September 2024, the Luxembourg Red Cross announced the launch of an awareness campaign to promote plasma donation.
The Luxembourg Red Cross stressed that plasma, which makes up more than half of the total volume of blood, is "incredibly valuable". It is primarily used in the production of life-saving medicines for patients with rare and/or immune diseases.
"Plasma is used, among other things, to treat burn victims, critically injured patients and those in intensive care," explained Dr Anne Schuhmacher, Medical Director at the Blood Transfusion Centre. "Like blood donation, plasma donation saves countless lives. However, in Luxembourg, plasma donation is still less well-known than blood donation and can lead to many questions."
Plasma donations are available at the Red Cross Blood Transfusion Centre in Luxembourg City by appointment through Doctena. As with blood donation, an interview will be conducted before the first donation. The process takes around one hour, as plasma is separated from the other components, which are returned to the donor. Recovery is quick: donors can make another plasma donation after just one month.
In an effort to recruit new donors, the Luxembourg Red Cross is launching an awareness campaign to highlight the significance of plasma. The campaign personifies plasma as a small yellow pouch, symbolising its color after being separated from the other blood components.
Those interested can follow the campaign by subscribing to the new Facebook page for blood donation in Luxembourg, accessible here. Throughout September, informative content about plasma donation will be posted regularly.
Healthcare professionals can also order posters and other communication materials to promote plasma donation by contacting the Luxembourg Red Cross via email: communication@croix-rouge.lu.
Additional information on blood and plasma donation is available on the website dondusang.lu.
