Denmark relies on US for a third of vital blood plasma

Denmark imports the final third of its blood plasma needs from the United States, leaving the country’s supply of life-saving medicine vulnerable, DR reports.

Danish blood donors currently provide enough plasma to cover 64 per cent of domestic demand. The goal of “Plasma build-up”, being marked this week during Plasma Week, is to make Denmark self-sufficient.

Blood plasma is used primarily to produce medicines for cancer patients and people with immune system diseases.

Jan Rindahl from Odense is among the donors helping to replenish supplies. He made his 27th plasma donation before starting his workday and said he planned to continue donating for as long as he was needed.

“I do it because I think everyone may need blood plasma. It is also important that we have enough in the bank so everyone can get it,” Rindahl said.

Mie Topholm Bruun, a senior doctor at the Blood Bank in Odense, said reliance on imports made the healthcare system vulnerable.

“We cannot be sure that we will continue to be able to buy medicine from the United States. That is why it is important that we are self-sufficient in plasma, so we know that we collect enough to produce medicine for patients in Denmark,” she said.

The United States halted blood plasma exports during the coronavirus pandemic, for example.

Plasma donors can donate every 14 days, compared with four times a year for whole-blood donors. Plasma is a yellowish liquid extracted from the blood during donation, after which the donor’s red blood cells are returned to the body. A plasma donation takes about 45 minutes, including around 30 minutes for the collection.

Bloddonorerne Danmark says Denmark needs 27,000 more plasma donors to become self-sufficient.