AVIS expands blood donation in Italy with summer Tuscany campaign and new Vibo Valentia center

The Italian blood donor association AVIS is running a summer campaign in Tuscany to counter a sharp drop in blood and plasma donations caused by an exceptional heat wave. The appeal, part of a nationwide Ministry of Health drive, urges eligible volunteers (aged 18‑60) to donate at local transfusion centres. Dr. Pietro Pantone, head of the transfusion medicine unit of ASL Toscana Sud Est, stressed that donation also provides health checks for donors.

In the province of Vibo Valentia, AVIS opened its first permanent collection site at Vena di Jonadi in the Le Cicale shopping centre. The centre will operate weekly on Fridays from 08:00 to 11:30, offering a fixed, modern location for donors now that the area lacks any hospital‑based donation facility. The launch aims to boost the number of donors and ensure a steady blood supply for local hospitals.