Did you know that only 1% of active donors in the country are Black?
Daily, 250 donations are needed to treat sickle cell disease, the fastest growing genetic condition in the UK. Sickle cell disease is more common in Black people and ethnically-matched blood provides the best treatment for the condition. More than 55% of Black people in the UK have the Ro subtype needed by sickle cell patients compared with 2% of the general population.
It’s facts like the above which inspired NHS Blood and Transplant’s (NHSBT’s) #InOurBlood donor campaign. Supporting the campaign are some of Britain’s most influential Black people. This included Dame Sharon White, Chair of the John Lewis partnership, who visited a new NHS Donor Centre in east London. She was joined by Lord Woolley, principal of Homerton College and founder of Operation Black Vote.
Dame Sharon White said: “We know that Black people are more likely to suffer from sickle cell which can require regular blood transfusions. By increasing the number of Black heritage donors we can go a long way to ensuring that all patients across England receive the best-matched blood.”
NHS Blood and Transplant has social media assets on their website. Please share the assets on social media to encourage more Black people to donate blood.
