From next year, Sanquin will offer its donors the opportunity to have their blood checked for conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, immune problems and cancer. The blood bank hopes this will make it more attractive to donors and contribute to public health.
Donors are already medically examined for every donation, but then only the presence of blood-borne infections is considered. This is done with a view to the safety of the donor himself and the recipient of the blood product.
Donors must join the new healthcheck indicate whether they also want such feedback, says Sanquin spokesperson Marloes Metaal in the NOS Radio 1 News. “We don’t make a diagnosis, but we can point out the first signs of diabetes, for example. People may then be able to prevent them from getting sick by adjusting their lifestyle.”
Donors can already agree to be notified if something is found prior to their donation, and three quarters do. Sanquin deduces from this that people are also positive about the new signalling. A pilot with a limited group will start in January, writes De Telegraaf.
Raw material for medicines
Sanquin hopes that the preventive research will also help to curb the costs of health care.
It is therefore also expected that it will become more attractive to donate blood or blood plasma. There is a great need for the latter in the pharmaceutical industry, because plasma is used as a raw material for all kinds of medicines.
–
