GA HR1124

Designates February 17, 2026, as Blood Plasma Donation Awareness Day in Georgia

Recognizes over 493 million plasma donations were collected at FDA-licensed centers from 2007 to 2021, with approximately 33 million liters fractionated annually for therapeutic proteins

Highlights that approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. and over 11,000 in Georgia live with sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects individuals of African descent (90% of cases)

Notes individuals of African descent comprise over 86% of blood plasma donations nationwide, yet no plasma collection centers in Georgia are owned by individuals from this demographic

Honors Dr. Charles Richard Drew, an African American physician who pioneered modern blood banking and plasma storage processes