Canadian plasma donation claims lives of Nigerian scholar and another individual

Canadian health authorities have initiated an investigation into the deaths of two individuals, including a Nigerian international student, following plasma donations at private collection centres in Winnipeg, Manitoba, operated by Grifols, a Spanish healthcare firm, and Rodiyat Alabede is one of the victims.

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Plasma, which accounts for slightly more than half of the total volume of blood, is the liquid component of blood, and Health Canada has received two reports of fatal adverse reactions involving plasma donors, one recorded in October 2025 and another on January 30, 2026.

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Both incidents occurred at clinics run by Grifols, and one of the victims was Rodiyat Alabede, a 22-year-old Nigerian student who died on October 25 after donating plasma at the Grifols Plasma Donation Centre on Taylor Avenue.

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Alabede had relocated from Nigeria to Winnipeg in 2022 to pursue her studies at the University of Winnipeg, and Mary Ann Chika, a friend of the student, identified Alabede’s body at the hospital after doctors pronounced her dead.

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According to Chika, medical personnel gave limited details but informed her that Alabede’s heart stopped beating during the plasma donation process at the centre, and Health Canada said the second fatal adverse reaction was reported on January 30 after a donation at Grifols’ Innovation Drive location in Winnipeg.

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The regulator did not disclose the identity of the second deceased donor, and the agency added that it has not yet established a direct connection between the plasma donations and the deaths and is still reviewing the incidents.

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Inspectors were dispatched to the facilities following the reports, and plasma donation is carried out in a process similar to blood donation, where after blood is drawn, the plasma is separated while the remaining red blood cells are returned to the donor’s body.

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The procedure is widely regarded as safe, and plasma contains immunoglobulins that help strengthen the immune system as well as clotting factors that assist in controlling bleeding, which are used in the treatment of infections, bleeding disorders, and liver disease.

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However, donors are cautioned that some side effects may occur, including fatigue, dehydration, dizziness, bruising, and fainting, and Grifols, which has operated in Winnipeg since 2022 after acquiring Canadian Plasma Resources, extended condolences to the families of the deceased.

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In a statement, the company said based on available information, “we have no reason to believe that there is a correlation between the donors’ passing and plasma donation”, and the company added that prospective donors undergo a comprehensive review of their medical history and a physical examination before being approved to donate.

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At the centres, plasma donors can receive honorarium payments of up to $100 per donation, with extra incentives offered to those who donate regularly, and under Canadian regulations, plasma collection facilities are required to report any serious reaction experienced by a donor during the procedure or within 72 hours after the donation to Health Canada.