Western Cape Blood Service reviews race-related questions on donor forms
Image: Independent Newspapers photographers
The Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) is reviewing its donor questionnaire following pressure from People Against Race Classification (Parc) to change the requirement to state your race when donating blood.
The service said they now plan to add an 'other' option, and is considering a 'prefer not to say' option.
Parc had flagged their concerns with the WCBS through several letters, saying they took offence that the questionnaire to be completed by those who want to donate blood asked for racial information.
'I have been a blood donor in this country for many years. I am not a Coloured, Black, Indian or White person. Why don't you also add an option for a person not to complete his race data? Or why not add more ethnic identities like, Khoi-San, Zulu, Afrikaner, Pedi, etc.
'The arguments regarding the need for this data is commonly known but not accepted. The WCBS as part of the science and medical fraternity, has no obligation to report on which blood was donated by which race. The necessity to know a person's race has no medical implication on what patient could use whose blood. You have no legal leg to support this practice. The Population Registration Repeal Act of 1991 has repealed all uses of race criteria,' Parc founder Glen Snyman wrote.
On March 13, Parc's action team visited the Western Cape Blood donation Service's Head Quarters in Cape Town where they held a demonstration with placards in hand calling for the race blocks on the donation forms to be removed.
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Initially the organisation in a letter responding to Snyman's concerns on March 27, outlined the reasons why it collected the data and also noted that the matter was discussed at a board meeting and would be brought up again following consultation with an expert.
On June 2, WCBS CEO, Greg Bellairs wrote another letter, stating that the board had explored whether there may be any ethical issues around asking the race of blood donors and had engaged with a 'respected bio-ethicist'.
'We have also fully considered your position, and decided the following: when next we revise the blood donor questionnaire's options regarding race, we will add a block called 'other', and we are considering adding another block called 'prefer/choose not to say'. We will add further information about why we ask for the race of blood donors, on the blood donor questionnaire, on the Service's Privacy Statement (which all blood donors sign), and on WCBS's website,' said Bellairs.
On March 13, Parc's action team visited the Western Cape Blood donation Service's Head Quarters in Cape Town where they held a demonstration with placards in hand calling for the race blocks on the donation forms to be removed.
Image: Supplied
Approached for comment on Thursday, WCBS spokesperson Marike Carli said the organisation did collect race data but was open to continuous engagements.
'Race data is still collected. However, we are reviewing the blood donor questionnaire and plan to add an 'other' option, and we are considering a 'prefer not to say' option as well. Blood donors who wish to not disclose their race may freely donate blood. We do not discriminate based on race or gender. We welcome constructive dialogue and remain open to continuous engagements and improvements.
'Every decision we make, including the information we request from blood donors, is… grounded in both medical science and ethical responsibility. We ask blood donors to self-identify their race so that we can select donations for extended testing for additional blood group systems (other than the ABO and Rh systems). This enables us to provide blood-group compatible blood products to multi-transfused patients such as those with thalassaemia, and sickle cell disease – as well as to identify donations of rare blood types, which are reserved in a national repository for patients with rare blood types,' said Carli.
Snyman said this was still not enough.
'This is a small 'victory' for PARC. The WC Blood Service agreed to amend their blood donation questionnaire form by adding to the race options the 'other' box, and also an option for people to 'not disclose their race'. However, we will continue our fight to have all the race blocks removed from all forms,' he said.
Stellenbosch University, Emeritus Professor in Health Systems and Public Health, Usuf Chikte said there is no 'credible genetic or biological foundation for these categories'.
'Racial classification, particularly in South Africa, is a social and political construct, not a scientific one. It emerged from a brutal system of segregation and inequality, not from any meaningful understanding of human biology. To continue relying on these categories in medicine, especially in something as sensitive and vital as blood donation, is to perpetuate a deeply harmful legacy devoid of any scientific basis.
'Proponents argue that such data may help match rare blood types. But even where this is medically relevant, ancestry-based screening, not racial identity, is the appropriate approach. 'Race' is simply too crude, inaccurate, and politically loaded to serve as a stand-in for complex biological or genetic markers. More importantly, the use of race on medical forms undermines patient trust. Most people filling out these forms have no idea why the information is being collected or how it will be used. In a country still grappling with the trauma of institutionalised racism, this is not a trivial issue. Medical institutions must be held to the highest standards of ethical transparency and scientific validity.'
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