International Plasma Awareness Week starts now!

During the International Plasma Awareness Week (PAW) 2026, from 5-9 October 2026, IPOPI and its national member organisations around the world are joining the global celebration to recognise and thank the plasma donors whose generosity makes lifesaving medicines possible.

“It all starts with you” is the call to action. Every day, someone donates blood or plasma. Every day, someone else receives a medicine made out this precious resource that helps them live a healthier, fuller life. Although they may never meet, they are connected through one extraordinary act of generosity.

What is plasma?
Plasma is the yellow liquid part of blood, making up about 55% of its total volume. It is composed of approximately 90%-92% water and 8%-10% dissolved substances, including proteins, nutrients, and antibodies that help keep our bodies functioning and protect us from infections.

Donated plasma is used to produce plasma-derived medicines, including immunoglobulins (Ignore). Immunoglobulins replace the antibodies that some people’s bodies cannot produce naturally. For many people living with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs), Ignore therapy is an essential treatment that helps them fight infections and live healthier, fuller lives. Many life-saving plasma-derived medicines, such as immunoglobulins, cannot be replicated in a laboratory and rely solely on the generosity of blood and plasma donors

There are two ways to donate:
• Plasma donation (plasmapheresis) – only the plasma is collected, and the rest is safely returned to the donor. It yields about 750 ml per session, and, depending on the country, can be done 20 to 104 times a year.
• Blood donation – plasma is separated from a whole blood donation. It yields about 250 ml of plasma and can be done 3 to 6 times a year.

About patients with PID
Around 6 million people worldwide are estimated to live with a primary immunodeficiency, yet 70–90% remain undiagnosed. For those who depend on immunoglobulin therapy, every donation matters. It is estimated that approximately 130 plasma donations through plasmapheresis are needed to provide one year of treatment for one adult living with a primary immunodeficiency. For many people living with PIDs and certain secondary immunodeficiencies (SIDs), immunoglobulin therapy is a lifelong, lifesaving treatment with no alternative. Thanks to awareness and education, and also due to new indications, IG therapy need is rising at a pace of at least 7%, and no biotech alternative is on the horizon in the next 10 years.

Recognising its importance, the World Health Organization (WHO) includes immunoglobulins in its Model List of Essential Medicines for both adults and children with PID.
Alongside encouraging more donations, IPOPI also calls for stronger national and international efforts to increase the regional collection and fractionation of plasma, helping to build a more resilient and sustainable global supply of plasma-derived medicines. Today, many countries rely heavily on imported plasma for these plasma-derived therapies, leaving patients vulnerable to shortages and supply disruptions. A more balanced global plasma collection will help ensure that patients, wherever they live, can access the treatments they need.

About IPAW: The International Plasma Awareness Week is a global campaign that celebrates plasma donors and raises awareness of the importance of plasma donation in producing lifesaving plasma-derived medicines. Learn more at www.plasmaweek.org

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Jose Drabwell Research Grant Programme Winners

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The IPOPI Jose Drabwell Research Grant Programme is an initiative aimed at promoting scientific and clinical research in the field of primary immunodeficiencies and associated conditions.

The third grant call in 2026, supported by Grifols and Kedrion, ran from June to August, inviting applicants from around the world to seize the opportunity to fuel innovation in the field with patient-centred and knowledge-generating projects.

IPOPI is pleased to announce the winners of the IPOPI Jose Drabwell Research Grant Programme 2026. The winners will receive funding for 2 years to carry out the following projects:

 

  • Dr Narissara Suratannon

Affiliation: Center of Excellence for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, and the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand

Project Title: Establishing a Southeast Asian Gene Therapy Hub for Inborn Errors of Immunity Using RAG1-SCID as a Pioneering Program

📌 This project will develop a regional readiness and implementation roadmap for RAG1-SCID gene therapy in Southeast Asia, including technology transfer, training, and the establishment of a centralised treatment hub in Bangkok.

 

  • Dr Jolan Walter

Affiliation: University of South Florida, United States of America

Project Title: Serum biomarkers of immune dysregulation to assess disease state in monogenic combined immunodeficiencies: from research to patient education

🔬 This project will develop and validate blood-based immune biomarkers and a patient-centred risk score to predict disease deterioration in people with monogenic combined immunodeficiencies (G-CIDs), while improving patient understanding of biomarker monitoring and multiomics research.

 

  • Dr Katie Townsend

Affiliation: University College London, United Kingdom

Project Title: Integrating B-cell functional assays to improve the diagnosis of primary Predominantly Antibody Deficiencies

🌍 This project will develop a standardised B-cell functional testing platform to improve diagnosis and interpretation of genetic variants in patients with predominantly antibody deficiencies, including those without a confirmed genetic diagnosis.

 

We wish the winners the best of luck and success on these projects and would like to thank everyone who applied.

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New Frontiers article on PID care in Latin America and the Caribbean

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IPOPI and leading clinicians and researchers have published a new article providing a regional perspective on the situation for people living with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Published on 24 September 2026 in Frontiers in Immunology, the article, “Appraisal of primary immunodeficiencies in Latin America and the Caribbean using the IPOPI PID Life Index – where are we now?”, brings together IPOPI expertise and the perspectives of key opinion leaders working in the field of primary immunodeficiencies.

Taking a closer look at PID care across the region

The publication uses data from the IPOPI PID Life Index, an interactive tool developed to assess the implementation of the PID Principles of Care around the world.

For this regional analysis, the authors examined the situation across 13 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, looking at six fundamental areas of PID care: diagnosis, treatment availability, universal health coverage, specialised centres, national patient organisations and registries.

The article provides an important overview of the progress that has been made while also examining the differences that continue to exist between countries in access to diagnosis, treatments and specialised care. The authors highlight the importance of sustained collaboration between healthcare professionals, patient organisations and other stakeholders to continue strengthening the environment for people living with PIDs.

From regional dialogue to scientific publication

The publication also builds on discussions held during the IPOPI Latin American Regional Meeting in Buenos Aires in October 2025, where patient representatives shared their national experiences, identified common priorities and discussed actions needed to improve access to diagnosis and care.

These discussions, combined with information collected through the PID Life Index, helped shape this first regional assessment of the implementation of the PID Principles of Care in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For IPOPI, bringing patient perspectives together with clinical and scientific expertise is essential to building a clearer picture of the realities faced by people living with PIDs and supporting evidence-based improvements in care.

Strengthening knowledge through collaboration

This article was developed in close collaboration with Prof Adli Ali, Prof Antonio Condino-Neto, Dr Nizar Mahlaoui, Dr Lorena Regairaz, Dr Silvia Sánchez-Ramón, Dr Carolina Prando and Prof Cecilia Poli.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all our collaborators for their swift, constructive and highly productive collaboration, which made this work possible.

Its publication represents another important step in IPOPI’s work to strengthen knowledge of the global PID healthcare environment and to support collaboration between the patient and medical communities.

Read the full open-access article in Frontiers in Immunology:
Appraisal of primary immunodeficiencies in Latin America and the Caribbean using the IPOPI PID Life Index – where are we now?

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First African Registry for Inborn Errors of Immunity/Primary Immunodeficiencies

Developed by the ASID Registry Team in collaboration with IPOPI and African patient organisations, this important initiative will help improve our understanding of IEI/PID across Africa and support better care for patients.

📢 If you are an African healthcare professional involved in the diagnosis or care of people with IEI/PID, we invite you to complete a short survey.

📝 Take the survey here in English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ASIDregistry-EN
📝 Take the survey here in French: https://fr.surveymonkey.com/r/ASIDregistry-FR

Your input will help:
✅ Build the African IEI/PID Registry
✅ Identify current practices and needs
✅ Strengthen research and advocacy
✅ Improve care for people living with IEI/PID across the continent

Please share this survey with colleagues who care for IEI/PID patients, including paediatricians, immunologists, internists, haematologists, infectious disease specialists and pulmonologists.

For more information visit: asidregistry.com

Together, we can help build a stronger future for the IEI/PID community in Africa.

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