Around 15,000 British nationals living in Malta will now be able to donate blood after the authorities lifted a long-standing restriction on people who lived in the United Kingdom during the period 1980 to 1996, the Ministry for Health said in a statement.
The restriction, introduced because of concerns over the potential transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), has been removed following scientific research and long-term surveillance indicating that there is no longer a risk of the disease being transmitted through blood donations today.
The decision also takes into account updated guidelines issued by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM).
The change means that British nationals in Malta, as well as Maltese people who studied or worked in the UK during the affected period, may now be eligible to donate blood, subject to the National Blood Transfusion Service’s other eligibility requirements.
Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ian Borg welcomed the decision and renewed his appeal for eligible people to donate blood.
“Donating blood is a noble gesture that saves lives,” Borg said, urging more people to play their part in supporting Malta’s blood supply.
The issue was also discussed during a recent meeting between Borg and British High Commissioner to Malta Victoria Busby. According to the ministry, work to review the restriction had already been underway at the time of the meeting, which gave further impetus to the process.
The National Blood Transfusion Service said around 350 people are already registered as having previously expressed an interest in donating blood but were unable to do so because of the restriction.
Monique Debattista, the Service’s Responsible Person and Medical Director, said these potential donors will now be contacted and encouraged to donate, either for the first time or to return after being unable to give blood for many years.
“We are truly pleased with this change,” Debattista said, noting that the decision would allow the service to welcome back former donors as well as new ones.
One of the first people to donate following the change was British resident Sara Hazzard. She said the British community had been waiting for the restriction to be lifted and encouraged others who were previously unable to donate to come forward.
For Hazzard, being able to donate was an opportunity to contribute to the wider community.
“It was a truly rewarding experience to finally be able to give something back to the community,” she said, encouraging friends and family who are now eligible to follow her example.
The Health Ministry said the removal of the restriction is expected to widen the pool of potential blood donors in Malta and contribute to efforts to encourage more people to donate.