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An Indian-origin South African Ravi Reddy to head the International Society of Blood Transfusion – ISBT

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An Indian-origin South African has become the first person from the African continent to head a global organization of medicine professionals working for the safety of blood transfusion worldwide. Ravi Reddy, currently the Chief Operations Officer of the South African National Blood Service (SANBS), will head the International Society for Blood Transfusion (ISBT).

About ISBT :

The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) is a scientific society that was founded in 1935. Since that time the ISBT has grown in to an international society where transfusion medicine professionals from across the globe come together and do the one thing they do best: share knowledge to improve the safety of blood transfusion worldwide.ISBT

  • ISBT believe that with the power of knowledge we can improve the safety of blood transfusion worldwide.
  • Professionals from over 100 countries already share their knowledge with this international transfusion medicine community by being a member of ISBT.

The important activity is to promote science and education related to blood, cells and transplantation. ISBT have created an educational platform; the ISBT Academy ePortal. This eLearning facility includes webcasts of ISBT congress presentations and a library of transfusion guidelines. In addition ISBT,

  • Encourage and support the ISBT Working Parties that focus on the study of specific topics.
  • Publish a scientific journal Vox Sanguinis and provide other high quality educational print and electronic material.
  • Organise International and Regional congresses.
  • Support and participate in regional workshops, seminars and congresses either financially or by use of the ISBT logo.
  • Support professionals from low and medium development index countries

Ravi Reddy’s role:-

Reddy has been credited with transforming the safety of blood donation and transfer in South Africa with its very high incidence of HIV/AIDS, he has insisted that this was a team effort by the staff of SANBS.

  • Mr Reddy has played a key role in South Africas high level of blood safety.
  • In 2004, there was a huge outcry when it emerged that blood donated by the majority Black community in South Africa was being discarded due to the risk associated with the high incidence of HIV/AIDS in that community.
  • Reddy had spearheaded a campaign to ensure stringent testing and also education among donors to turn this around.
  • Ravi Reddy represented the African region on the board of the ISBT between 2006 and 2012, and is also a member of the Working Party on Transfusion and Transmissible Infections. He has presented and published a large number of scientific papers.