As Canadian Blood Services celebrates its first federally endorsed National Blood Donor Week this week, the organization is taking the opportunity to look at how far it has come in its 10-year history.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS
Ten years after the parliamentary tabling of what has become known as the Krever report – the report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada – Canadian Blood Services has taken the system from public outrage to public trust.
“In 1998, the Canadian blood system was behind among developed countries in the safety features that were needed,” says Graham Sher, CEO of Canadian Blood Services.
But improving safety was just one facet of the work that needed to be done. “We look at it as a three-legged stool,” says Dr. Sher, adding that keeping the blood supply up and building the infrastructure necessary to keep the system stable, effective and efficient was also pivotal to Canadian Blood Services’ success.
When the organization was created in September 1998, blood donations had dropped from 1.2 million units in the 1980s to 685,000 units; only meeting 60 per cent of hospital demand. “We expect to collect 900,000 units this year and are essentially meeting 100 per cent of hospital needs now,”says Dr. Sher.
As well, trust has been regained. While 56 per cent of Canadians polled in 1998 said they trusted the blood system, today, Canadian Blood Services scores 85 per cent for trust and 93 per cent of donors say they believe the organization is doing a good job.
By 2001, within just three years, Canadian Blood Services had created state-of-the-art testing facilities and could claim that the risk of an infection being transmitted by a unit of blood in Canada was among the lowest in the world. “We’ve come a very, very long way,” says Dr. Sher, adding that National Blood Donor Week, which was approved by the House of Commons on Valentines Day this year, is a strong recognition of the need to remind Canadians about the importance of donating blood and the need for a trusted, effective blood system.
Celebrating what has gone from Canada’s greatest public health crisis, to a world-class model, Dr. Sher says National Blood Donor Week was the hard work of a few important folks on Parliament Hill. “The individuals who helped drive us through deserve enormous recognition for understanding the importance of blood donations and blood donors in keeping the system active and robust.
Senator Terry Mercer, himself a blood donor as well as a blood recipient, was a driving force. “Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec (Québec’s blood system) came to see us, I immediately thought we should support it,” he says, adding that Senator Ethyl Cochrane, a Conservative, was brought on board to champion the cause as a nonpartisan initiative. As well, Senator Mercer says Liberal MP Navdeep Bains sponsored the bill in the House of Commons and “brought a whole new energy” to passing National Blood Donor Week.
“I hope this will draw people’s attention to the need to expand donations, the tremendous benefits and the many, many uses for donated blood,” says Senator Mercer.
Currently, only 3.5 per cent of Canadians regularly donate eligible blood. Dr. Sher says that Canadian Blood Services is far from resting on its laurels. “Driving to the next level of maturity is an ongoing task. It’s always about getting more effective and efficient and never taking our eyes off the ball of safety.”
With its proven, 10-year track record, Canadian Blood Services has been asked by the provincial and territorial governments, as well as the federal government, to take on new responsibilities.
In its near future, the organization will be involved in such areas as organ donation and transplantation, is already managing the One-Match Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Network, and is putting together the business case for developing a national cord blood bank.
“We are now ready to build on our strengths, having earned the trust of and credibility with the Canadian public,” says Dr. Sher.
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