The head of the FMBA of Russia Veronika Skvortsova has opened the XV Forum of the Blood Service

The opening of the XV Anniversary Forum of the Blood Service of Russia took place in Moscow, on the territory of the Digital business space. It is attended by heads of Blood Service institutions, representatives of State and public organizations, and transfusionists from all over the country, including four new regions.

Opening the Forum, the head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency, Veronica Skvortsova, stressed that the difficulties created by unfriendly countries did not worsen the condition of the Blood Service, but also gave a powerful incentive to its further development.

«First of all, the donor movement has significantly expanded. Already, there are over 1 million 400,000 donors in the country, 99% of whom donate blood. This is an interdepartmental achievement, because the Agency for Youth Affairs, the Ministry of Sports, and public organizations - «Medical volunteers», the Red Cross and others are involved. We were able to significantly increase the growth of blood procurement and its components. Compared to 2019 (a year before COVID), volumes increased by 25%. It is more than 2 million 200 thousand liters and almost 1 million liters of plasma» - said Veronica Skvortsova.

Veronica Skvortsova noted that the work of the Blood Service became particularly important during the special military operation.

«The country is fully provided with blood and blood components for clinical use. We’ve created a mobilization reserve that allows us to release 25,000 liters of blood and over 400,000 liters of plasma all at once, if necessary. Therefore, we provide all federal agencies, all regions of the Russian Federation, including four new regions, all security agencies», - stressed Veronica Skvortsova.

Another important achievement is the digitization of the Blood Service. Each blood component is now tracked step by step from the donor to the recipient. This system provides unprecedented safety standards. A big result for our entire country is significant progress in achieving self-sufficiency in blood products and components.

«Suffice to say that three years ago only 10% of blood products were domestic, the rest - imported. In 2022, the concept of development of plasma billet for production purposes was created, and this led to the tripling the billet from 30 to 90 tons. By the end of the year we will be 300 tons, that is 10 times more than in 2021. 2024 will be the first year of self-sufficiency for all major drugs - these are albumin and various variants of immunoglobulin» - said the head of the FMBA of Russia.

Veronica Skvortsova also stressed that sanctions pressure led to innovative development in the field of the use of blood components in pharmaceuticals. So over the past year and a half, domestic specific immunoglobulins have been developed against hepatitis B, tick-borne encephalitis, rabies and tetanus. In addition, the line of medical products for the Blood Service has been significantly expanded: the new plasma centers created in the Service are fully equipped with domestic systems.

The head of the FMBA of Russia told about the significant progress in filling the Federal Register of Bone Marrow and Hematopoietic Stem Cells Donors, launched on September 1, 2022.

«Initially there were 112 thousand potential donors in the register, they have been saving for 10 years, now they are already 266,500, in one year the register has more than doubled. We have developed mechanisms to accelerate the recruitment of bone marrow donors throughout the country. Our potential is about 100,000 new donors a year. If we take such steps forward, then in two years, we will have more than 500 thousand potential donors, it is more than 80% self-sufficiency for the country» - says Veronica Skvortsova.

First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of Russia Sergey Kirienko welcomed the forum participants.

«Heartfelt gratitude - to the staff of the Blood Service. Your work on preparation and provision of components of blood is especially important today, during a special military operation, when donor blood saves the lives of civilians and helps soldiers» - said Sergei Kirienko.

Sergey Vladilenovich has also mentioned the donor marathon FMBA of Russia in the country, calling it a powerful unifying start. It is a result of the systematic work to attract donors, which has been held in the country for the past fifteen years. He also noted that thousands of children and adults have a chance to find a suitable donor in their home country thanks to the expansion of the Federal Register of Bone Marrow Donors.

The Deputy Prime Minister for Social Policy of the Russian Federation Tatiana Golikova addressed the meeting via video link.

«A large-scale modernization program within the framework of the national project «Health», launched in 2008 covered institutions of the Blood Service in all regions of the country, including large clinical centers of federal subordination. It allowed them to be equipped with high-tech medical equipment. As a result, the proportion of voluntary blood donations have increased to 99 per cent, automatic collection of blood components has increased from 15 to 30 per cent. Modern technologies for the preparation of blood components, fractionation and freezing, laboratory screening have been introduced. 30 thousand pieces of medical equipment have been delivered, including 61 mobile blood procurement systems» - says Tatiana Golikova.

She stressed the successful implementation of donor projects, its high digitalization, the huge scale of the work done, the role in the modernization of the entire health system. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the Forum of the Blood Service makes possible to achieve unity of views and approaches to solving the strategic problems of the development of the Blood Service and the donor movement, as well as to develop relevant practical recommendations.

Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Inna Svyachenko delivered a welcoming speech to the forum participants from the Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko.

«In recent decades, a number of great discoveries have been made in medical science, but the value of donated blood for saving human life and health is not decreasing. Donor development is one of the socially significant tasks in our country. Thanks to a systematic approach, today this process has reached a qualitatively different level. The efficiency of the Blood Service has been improved as a result of its technical re-equipment and informatization, expansion and popularization of donated blood. The All-Russian Forum of the Blood Service has established itself as an authoritative platform for constructive dialogue of leading experts, representatives of institutions of the Blood Service, state authorities, public organizations and leaders of the donor movement» - said Valentina Matvienko.

Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Inna Svyachenko addressed the audience. She spoke about the support provided by legislators to the development of donorship and the Blood Service.

«In 2022, the Federation Council approved a federal law aimed at expanding the possibility of supplying donated blood to manufacturers of medicines for the developing the domestic production of drugs from plasma blood. Plasma can now be transferred not only to medical organizations, but also directly to pharmaceutical plants. Domestic producers can now get the necessary components faster and increase capacity to provide citizens with the necessary drugs», - said Inna Svyatenko.

First Deputy Chairman of the Health Protection Committee Leonid Ogul congratulated the participants on behalf of the leadership of the State Duma. He conveyed greetings from the Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin and noted the dynamic innovative development of the Blood Service.

The Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matycin also expressed his gratitude to the employees of the Blood Service and donors.

«The results of this work are needed now more than ever for our country. Therefore, I want to assure you once again that we will continue cooperation with the Federal Medical-Biological Agency. I would like to thank you for support, prevention, assistance in achieving results, for the sense of comfort you create for athletes» - said Oleg Matycin.

Employees of the Federal Bailiff Service actively respond to every opportunity to participate in donor actions. This is not just a good tradition, but an investment in our future, the key to a successful tomorrow. I thank you and all the employees of the FMBA of Russia for their caring attitude» - Deputy Director of the Federal Bailiff Service Elena Zakharkina addressed to the attendees.

The Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation Oleg Kachanov congratulated the participants on the beginning of their work, noting the significant involvement of the Blood Service in the digitalization process, including the provision of public services to donors.

At the end of the opening ceremony of the Forum, Veronica Skvortsova, the head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency presented awards to representatives of the Blood Service and persons assisting the donor movement.

The Forum is attended by 490 guests from all regions of Russia. Leading experts, representatives of federal and regional authorities, leaders of the donor movement and public organizations discuss innovative approaches to the development of the Blood Service, improving work in the field of bone marrow donation and hematopoietic stem cells. The exhibition of the forum presents innovative blood preparations for participants of the special military operation, for example, having a number of unique characteristics «dry plasma», which is used directly on the battlefield to save the lives of soldiers and civilians.

Within the framework of the Forum this evening there will be a solemn ceremony of awarding the winners of the Professional Skill Contest among the institutions of the Blood Service of Russia in such nominations as «Cells of life» - the best project in the field of promotion and development of donation of hematopoietic stem cells and bone marrow, «The best medical worker of the Blood Service institution - 2023» and a number of others.