Purpose and Partnership

The International Society for Blood Transfusion (ISBT), through its working Parties for Global Blood Safety (GBS) and Quality Management, is organizing this workshop on behalf of International Coalition for Safe Plasma Proteins (ICSPP) in cooperation with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The workshop is intended for countries in Eastern Europe and neighboring regions and aims to promote advances in national and regional plasma management to increase patient access to essential plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMPs), through stepwise progress toward fractionation. The workshop may lead to future projects aligned with ICSPP’s goals.

Current Challenges

Patients in many low- and middle-income countries lack sufficient access to essential and safe plasma-derived medicinal products. Improved management of domestic plasma to meet quality standards for local or industrial-scale fractionation can help mitigate this shortage. Key barriers include weak regulation, fragmented blood systems, limited commitment of resources, insufficient safety testing, and inadequate conditions for plasma storage and transport. These limitations reduce the availability of plasma suitable for fractionation and hinder progress toward contract or domestic fractionation that could provide needed products.

Workshop Focus and Intended Outcomes

National stakeholders will explore a stepwise approach to improving the collection and use of domestic plasma to provide sustainable access to PDMPs. Topics will include plasma quality, safety and availability; regulation and policy; infrastructure and quality systems; and appropriate fractionation models. A regional survey, national questionnaires, presentations of country experiences, and highly interactive sessions will help identify barriers and enabling factors influencing progress. The workshop may lead to agreement on developing a common roadmap for improved plasma management at national and regional levels.