Danish blood banks have a goal of becoming self-sufficient in blood plasma, but it requires more blood donors. Since June 2021, the ambition has been clear: Denmark should be able to sustain itself concerning blood plasma. In 2022, the need was estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000 new donors. Today, this number has been reduced, but there are still 33,000 donors needed to reach the self-sufficiency goal. This was announced by Blood Donors Denmark in a press release. Currently, the Danish donor corps consists of 180,000 voluntary blood donors. Bjarne Kuno Møller, chief physician at the Blood Bank and Immunology at Aarhus University Hospital, explains that the current donors can provide about 120 tons of plasma per year, but this does not yet cover the entire need. “We need a little extra to be completely independent of foreign plasma donations. We need an additional 80 tons of plasma annually to become self-sufficient,” says Bjarne Kuno Møller. Plasma is especially used for the production of plasma-based drugs, including immunoglobulin, which is a significant factor in this context. To meet the current demand, there is a need to import plasma from abroad. According to the chief physician, this poses a risk that Denmark may lack sufficient plasma if there is a global shortage. Another risk is that some patients potentially will not receive the necessary treatment for their illnesses if there is a shortage of immunoglobulin. “Fortunately, we are not there yet,” adds Bjarne Kuno Møller.
Several countries that have achieved self-sufficiency in plasma have chosen to pay their donors. However, in Denmark, the goal is to achieve it without paying donors, as it is about safety and ethics. “There is no financial gain in one or the other. It is about having control over our plasma supply and avoiding using plasma from paid donors,” explains the chief physician. The Danish goal is ambitious and closely followed by other countries in Europe who are interested in whether it is possible to achieve full self-sufficiency through voluntary, unpaid donations. “But we believe in it, because we have the world’s best donor corps,” Bjarne Kuno Møller concludes.