UK: Plasma from blood donations to be used to make vital medicine
August 17, 2021, 1:39 pm

UK: Plasma from blood donations to be used to make vital medicine

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According to the BBC, plasma from blood donations in England will be used to make a vital medicine, following a rule change to reduce reliance on imported stocks.

The BBC said, that each year about 17,000 people need immunoglobulin treatment and, until recently, there was a ban on using plasma from UK  donors to safeguard against vCJD or "mad cow disease".

Officials say this precaution is no longer necessary.

A mother and son from the Wirral are among those to have had the treatment.

The BBC reported that this move will help secure NHS plasma stocks to make the antibody-based medicines, called immunoglobulins.

It added, rollout of the service will happen across England over the coming months, and NHS blood donor services elsewhere in the UK could opt to do the same.

In the mean time, the UK relies solely on plasma imports, which can be in short supply - a situation made worse by Covid.

According to the BBC, the red blood cells from donations will continue to be used as normal, so there will be no impact on donor blood stocks. Plasma is the fluid and other cells and components of whole blood.

It should be noted that the treatment can be used to help patients who cannot make antibodies themselves, or in circumstances where their bodies are not making enough antibodies, or the ones they are making don't work properly, as well as for disorders when the body's immune system is attacking itself.

Source: BBC

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”