THE chief operations officer of the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) has been selected as the first African president of the International Society for Blood Transfusion (ISBT).
Ravi Reddy was elected ISBT president on Saturday at the 34th International Congress, which is under way in Dubai.
“It is always satisfying to receive a vote of confidence from your professional peers, and I feel privileged to serve the society as president. But this is genuinely a case where the honour is shared.
"Without SANBS’s professionalism and reputation for excellence, I would never have been considered for the position,” said Reddy.
SANBS spokesperson Vanessa Raju said Reddy’s selection was a great accolade for South Africa considering the high level of HIV.
“We are rated amongst the top five blood services in the world when it comes to safety. This is in comparison to other countries with a very low percentage of HIV cases. Mr Reddy has been instrumental in the country having such a high level of blood safety,” said Raju.
Reddy represented the African region on the board of the ISBT between 2006 and 2012, and serves on the society’s Working Party on Transfusion and Transmissible Infections.
He presented and published a large number of scientific papers and co-authored the World Health Organisation’s publication on screening donated blood for transfusion transmissible diseases.
At SANBS, Reddy manages the day-to-day operations of collection, testing, processes and distribution of more than 800 000 units of donated blood a year.
He served SANBS for more than 30 years, starting out as a volunteer at the age of 16 years old.
Since then he qualified as a medical technologist with an MBA from the University of Natal, and played a critical role in forging a single national blood service from seven regional services.
He was also instrumental in shaping SANBS’s strategy for ensuring a consistent and safe blood supply in a country most severely affected by the global HIV epidemic.
One of the challenges SANBS faces is getting repeat donors to keep the blood supply at a steady amount.
Raju said during the holidays the service usually runs low on blood because universities and schools are closed.
“Around 40 percent of our donations come from drives at universities and schools. After the September holidays, students will prepare for their end-of-year exams and schools don't allow drives during that time,” she said.
The ISTB is a scientific body for transfusion medicine professionals established in 1935 as a platform for exchanging knowledge and advancing the blood-transfusion practice. Its membership spans more than 100 countries.
If you would like to find the nearest blood donation centre in your area, call 0800 119 031.