The Councillor of Health, Manuela García, signed the agreement with the president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer, José Reyes Moreno.
The Banc de Sang i Teixits de les Illes Balears (FBSTIB) and the Spanish Association against Cancer in the Balearic Islands have today signed a framework collaboration agreement whose main objective is to promote blood and tissue donation as a key treatment in the critical moments of an oncological illness, as well as to promote joint actions to raise awareness of the importance of prevention and early detection of cancer.
This agreement also underlines the need to make donations in advance to ensure that blood is available when it is most needed.
During the ceremony, Dr. José Reyes Moreno, president of the Association in the Balearic Islands, stressed that ‘collaboration between entities is essential to advance in the fight against cancer. With this agreement, we will not only work to support patients but also to promote solidarity through blood donation’.
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The BSTIB and the Spanish Association Against Cancer in the Balearic Islands join forces to promote blood donation and fight cancer
For her part, the councillor for Health, Manuela García Romero, pointed out that ‘blood donation is vital in the treatment of many diseases, including cancer. This agreement will allow us to reach more people and raise awareness of the importance of this altruistic act’.
The agreement includes actions such as the participation of the Association in donation campaigns organised by the FBSTIB and the dissemination of informative messages through the channels of both entities.
Blood donation: a key ally in cancer treatment
In the Balearic Islands, more than 6,000 cases of cancer are diagnosed each year, with 6,297 in 2023. It is estimated that 60% of blood donations go to cancer patients.
Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, affect blood cells and can cause anaemia, thrombocytopenia and other haematological disorders that require transfusions. A leukaemia patient, for example, may need up to 8 units of platelets per week, while procedures such as bone marrow transplants may require more than 100 units of blood components.
Transfusions not only improve patients’ quality of life but also increase their chances of survival by enabling them to better tolerate aggressive therapies and overcome complications of the disease.
Joint actions
The agreement between the BSTIB and the Association includes the participation of both entities in awareness campaigns, as well as the dissemination of informative messages through their communication channels. One of the outstanding initiatives is the infographic ‘Blood donation fights cancer’, designed to educate and raise awareness of how donations contribute directly to saving lives.
In addition, the BSTIB invites all citizens to participate in the collections organised in the Balearic Islands and encourages them to come well hydrated, having eaten and with their ID cards. To do so, those interested can make an appointment at www.donasang.org, where they can consult the calendar of the different towns where they can donate.