The blood supply chain begins with the blood donor and blood services strive for 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation (VNRBD). For a robust blood supply, selection, assessment and retention of donors is important. The study of demographics and psychology of blood donation is carried out by many blood services and Academic institutes so that they can better understand trends in blood donation to ensure an adequate supply. The health of the donor is important both pre- and post-donation, therefore, health and personal questionnaires are key. Because some donors donate very regularly they may become susceptible to iron depletion and anaemia, and should therefore be monitored regularly. To raise awareness of the importance of safe blood and to thank all blood donors, annually, on June 14, World Blood Donor Day is celebrated globally.
Current Leadership
Rachel Thorpe
Rachel Thorpe, PhD, is a sociologist and Senior Research Fellow at Australian Red Cross Lifeblood and Honorary Fellow in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne. Rachel’s background is sociology of health. She uses social theories to investigate donation and donors within the context of their lives, social systems and changing technologies. A key focus of her current research is examining barriers and enablers to donation for older people, and donor perspectives on the use of genomic technologies in transfusion medicine.
https://www.lifeblood.com.au/our-research/program/meet-our-researchers/dr-rachel-thorpe
Jennie Haw
Jennie Haw, PhD, is a sociologist and scientist in Donation Policy and Studies at Canadian Blood Services and adjunct research professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Carleton University. She is a qualitative methodologist with specialization in the sociology of health and donation studies and draws on social theories to examine donation within the context of broader health and social systems. A key area of focus in her research program is understanding blood donation from the perspectives of historically excluded and under-represented groups, and identifying social and structural barriers and enablers to donation.
Noriko Namba
Noriko Namba MD. PhD. is a transfusion medicine specialist currently working as a medical director of Japanese Red Cross Tokyo Metropolitan Blood Center. She has been involved in activities related to blood donor recruitment, safety of blood donors and management of adverse events of blood donation.
