The history of the Red Cross Movement and that of the League of Red Cross Societies, is intrinsically linked with that of blood. Indeed, in 1975, the Tansley Report, commissioned by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the League of Red Cross Societies, attempted to divine the future of the Red Cross Movement, stating that in regard to blood transfusion services the ‘activity is considered one of the best of all Red Cross health activities.’
Resilient Humanitarianism doctoral candidate Jordan Evans has successfully met the requirements of his confirmation of candidature, including presenting an overview of his thesis proposal at the Flinders University College of HASS Spring Conference in early November. The working title of his thesis is: ‘New Blood: The role of the League of Red Cross Societies in the development of blood transfusion services in Asian and African post-colonial states from 1950-1979.’
Jordan believes that the efforts of the LRCS in establishing and supporting Blood Transfusion Services (BTS) in the Global South is an under researched topic that requires closer examination. Wide reading and his early engagement with League documents has demonstrated to him that the League helped fundamentally shift attitudes of development and public health across the globe.
Through a close study of League archival materials, Jordan seeks to examine what mechanisms the LRCS utilised to help develop blood transfusion services in Asia and Africa, how it liaised with the relevant national Red Cross Societies, and how these operations evolved over time.
The goal of his research is to investigate what the League’s policies were for blood transfusion services, explore how these policies evolved and developed over time, and to consider which national Red Cross Societies benefited from the policies. The role of the League in the dissemination of information, expertise, data, as well as equipment in this vital public health policy space will be examined and questioned.
To accomplish this, Jordan proposes to utilise a case study approach and explore a selected number of examples, such as Nigeria and Zambia in Africa, and Malaysia (Malaya) and Myanmar (Burma) in Asia. Through the case studies, he will compare and contrast the League’s various approaches to blood transfusion services (BTS), examine its influences in these countries, and interrogate the outcomes of League health policy.
After reading widely to prepare for his confirmation of candidature, Jordan now looks forward to examining archival materials more closely and drilling down into League reports, correspondence, and bulletins. ‘Although it has been difficult working with the IFRC archives from a distance, I am really looking forward to seeing where the various leads that I have unearthed go,’ reports Jordan.
He is grateful for the assistance of Grant Mitchell and Mélanie Blondin at the IFRC. ‘I just couldn’t have made it through 2020 without their support and the assistance of the Resilient Humanitarianism team.’
‘2021 will be an exciting time as I engage with archives across the world and come to a more nuanced understanding of the work of the League in shaping improvements in global health outcomes via its blood services. Watch this space – it’s going to be a fascinating story!’
We will be providing updates on Jordan’s work via this News site and via our Twitter feed in 2021.
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Follow Jordan Evans on Twitter: @HistoryBlu
Or contact Jordan directly via our project email account: resilienthum@flinders.edu.au