This month marks the start of Black History Month in the UK.
We want to focus our attention on Charles Richard Drew. He was an American surgeon and researcher that paid a lot of attention to blood transfusions. Alongside this research, he protested heavily against the segregation that propagated as a result of the Jim Crow Laws in the US. The segregation laws meant that African- Americans blood was excluded from plasma supply networks with the US.
His work significantly contributed to the concept of blood banking and blood preservation techniques. He also had a pivotal role in the Blood for Britain project, where US citizens donated blood to UK. He ensured that skilled personals drew blood and handled it. At the end of the 5-month project, Drew and his team allowed for 15,000 people to donate blood to British soldiers in the Second World War.
We are grateful for his work and without this we would not have been able to use blood transfusions as a treatment for Sickle Cell Disease.
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