New campaign hopes to bring younger generations to region’s blood donor clinics

PENTICTON – Blood donations are on the decline in the world’s most developed countries, and Canada is no exception.

So says David Patterson, the director of donor relations with Canadian Blood Services. He says there has been a 30 per cent drop in blood donors internationally.

Canada is doing better with a drop of about nine per cent from 2005 to 2015, he says, and the decline is uniform across Canada, including blood donor clinics in the Thompson-Okanagan.

“The Missing Type campaign was launched in Great Britain last year and it helped to make the public understand the need for new donors,” he said, adding it was now a global initiative, with Canada participating.

Patterson says the reasons for donor decline are varied. People are travelling more, and becoming exposed to new viruses and diseases such as the Zika virus, which he says has added one per cent to deferrals over the past six months.

“There are more pathogens in the blood supply," he says, adding donors are asked to return to the clinic following a waiting period after travelling to certain regions.

For countries with the Zika virus, a 21-day wait is required.

“More people are getting tattoos. If a donor has just had one, we’ll ask him or her to wait six months after they’ve had a tattoo,” he says.

Patterson also notes most people are leading busier lives.

“The pace of life has increased for everybody. Donating blood is not like asking to drop off five dollars, we’re asking for people’s time,” he says, adding time spent donating is a major has been identified as a major source of irritation for the blood service’s donors.

On July 1 the service launched a new program introducing digital clinics.

Patterson hopes it will streamline the process, with questionnaires filled out on line and abbreviated questionnaires for people who have donated recently.

“At the clinic, donors can go directly to screening, by passing those without an appointment, or those who didn’t fill in the online form,” he says.

Canadian Blood Services has 400,000 regular donors across the country but they're not getting any younger.

"We need to have the next generation coming in and we need to do a better job of making people understand how important an act it is,” Patterson says.

"Most people who donate have a great personal story to tell about why they donate. We’d like people to think in advance and see donating as a way to pay it forward,” he says.

“We’ve got 400,000 regular donors across the country, but the donor base getting older. We really need to bring new donors into the system,” he says.

“There are many worthwhile ways to give, but donating blood can improve or save someone’s life, so it’s a pretty powerful thing to do,” he adds. “We need to do a better job of making people understand how important it is, and our need for regular supply,” Patterson says.

There’s always a need fresh supply of blood, in particular need O negative, because anyone can use that blood type, he says.

More about the blood service’s campaign can be found on the Missing Types website.


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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