Media Release : Māori and Pasifika blood donors – whānau saving whānau

Have a kōrero and become a blood donor

Link to video here

This National Blood Donor Week, New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is highlighting the importance of Māori and Pasifika donors by letting them know just how special their blood is.

Currently, less than nine percent of active donors across Aotearoa identify as Māori and Pasifika – that’s just over 10,000 donors of which only 3500 are male.

“Māori and Pasifika blood is quite unique,” says NZBS National Manager Marketing & Communications Asuka Burge. “While most people are aware of the four main blood groups – A, B, AB and O – not many of us are aware blood can be divided into dozens of sub-groups. There are 43 recognised blood types, including the clinically significant Kidd (Jk) blood group.

“Your blood type is inherited from your parents – this means you are more likely to share the same blood subtype as someone from the same ethnic background.”

A very rare blood type called Jk3 (both JkA negative and JkB negative) can be found in about one in every 100 Māori and Pasifika donors.

The chances of finding this blood type in those with Māori and Pasifika ethnicity is greater than other ethnic groups.

Jk3 blood is used to treat patients who are Jk3 themselves and have also made antibodies to JkA and JkB.

“In New Zealand, there are only 20 donors that currently have this rare sub-group. This means it is particularly challenging if this rare blood type is required by a patient in need. To build our database of donors and to identify more people with this unique blood group, we need to grow our Māori and Pasifika donor database by about 27 percent or roughly 3,000 new donors over the next 12 months.”

If you don’t know your blood type, consider donating so you can find out.

Joining in the call for more Māori and Pasifika donors to join the donor register is Pio Terei from Trust Teina.

He knows first-hand just how important it is for whānau to sit down have a kōrero and talk about giving blood. 

“There’s a real good chance that someone in our community, in your hapu or your whānau has needed blood or will need blood. It’s got to come from somewhere, so maybe it should come from us. It’s the ultimate koha.”

NZBS is celebrating its first-ever National Blood Donor Week from June 13 to 19.

National Blood Donor Week is a way for NZBS to say a big ‘thank you’ and recognise the lifesaving generosity of New Zealand’s donors. Every year, almost 110,000 Kiwis donate more than 220,000 units of blood, plasma and platelets, and help save the lives of 29,000 people across Aotearoa.

Don’t wait to save a life – join New Zealand’s whānau of lifesavers during National Blood Donor Week.

To find a location to donate or book an appointment, download the NZ Blood App, visit nzblood.co.nz or call 0800 GIVE BLOOD (0800 448 325).

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About New Zealand Blood Service:

New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) in a not-for-profit Crown entity responsible for the collection, processing, testing and storage and distribution of all blood and blood products in New Zealand.

We rely on voluntary and non-remunerated blood donations from individuals around the country in order to provide a constant supply of precious blood and blood products used by our health services to save thousands of lives.

NZBS also provides cell and tissue products and related services to meet public health needs, and maintains national oversight of organ donation and distribution.