The French Blood Establishment launches an emergency appeal to potential donors

"Reserves are weak", alert this Tuesday the French Blood Establishment (EFS). Grabbing the World Cup and the heat, the French have forgotten the importance of donating their blood.

The organized collections in the seaside resorts

In this respect, l 'EFS launches' a emergency call and invites donors to move mbadively now to fixed sites and mobile collections to donate their blood and thus ensure a satisfactory level of blood products to cover the needs of patients throughout the summer. Because donations must be regular. EFS recalls that the life of blood products is short (5 days for platelets, 42 days for red blood cells).

"10,000 donations of blood are needed every day to meet the needs of patients and no product can substitute for the blood of volunteer donors". The mobilization of the French is necessary, "every donation counts", even during the holidays. "Event collections are organized everywhere in France and in particular in seaside resorts," says the EFS, as well as in its 123 fixed sites. You can consult the various donation areas by clicking here.

In France, nearly one-third of blood transfusions are performed in oncology departments, especially for people with lymphoma or leukemia, diseases that directly affect the blood. In Brittany, 50,000 of the 144,000 annual blood donations are for cancer patients.

How do you know if your blood can be donated?

Unlike other countries, like the United States, blood donation in France is based on the principle of volunteering. like all organ donations. As an ethical imperative, free and voluntary donation is also a health security: in countries where donations are made, some donors, motivated by greed, may lie during the interview prior to the donation. But while blood donation is a generous act, it is nevertheless governed by rules defined by a European directive, according to donor selection criteria common to all EU Member States. In France, this directive is transposed in the form of a ministerial order.

In practice, you must be between the ages of 18 and 70, weigh more than 50 kg, and be fit during the interview preceding the donation. After the age of 60, the first donation is submitted to an EFS doctor. More specifically, men can give blood up to 6 times a year and women up to 4 times, but there must be a minimum of 8 weeks between donations. Contraindications related to acts of care, state of health, personal, badual practices, stays abroad or the taking of certain medicines and antibiotics are listed on the EFS website.

If a volunteer has a history of malaria, has undergone surgery in the last 4 months, is carrying a blood infection (HIV, viral hepatitis …) has just been tattooed, has traveled to an area where may to have tropical diseases in the last 4 months, or to have bad for money or drugs during the last 12 months, he will not be able to donate blood. This is to ensure the safety of donors and recipients.