People who travel to areas where malaria circulates will have to hold off on donating blood for a little longer than they used to.

Canadian Blood Services is now asking people to wait one year before giving blood after a short trip to a country where malaria is prevalent.

Previously, they had to wait only six months.

People who spend six or more consecutive months in a malaria zone will be asked to defer donating for three years. Anyone who contracted malaria will no longer be able to donate blood.

The new policy begins April 2, 2007.

Canadian Blood Services is asking vacationers who are planning to vacation to tropical climes to think about donating blood before they leave the country

The blood agency says that geography-related deferrals as a result of malaria risks are not new and that more than 100 countries have already been recognized as posing a malaria risk (see list at www.blood.ca).

Previously, individuals were permitted to donate blood six months after returning from a malaria-risk zone; however, only one out of three parts of their blood could be used: the plasma.

However, removing the plasma is time-consuming and expensive for the non-profit group. And in recent years, the number of people who have become temporarily ineligible to donate blood has skyrocketed because of the addition of popular tourist destinations in certain parts of Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, for example.

"When the number of malaria-risk deferrals was much lower, this was a manageable way to build up our supply of plasma products for patients in need," says Ian Mumford, Chief Operating Officer. "However with the growth rate of malaria deferrals, this practice has become unsustainable.

Canadian Blood Services says determining eligibility and exposure to malaria risk can be complex since, for instance, sometimes only specific regions of a country are at risk of malaria, while others are not.

Rather than making assumptions about their eligibility, the blood agency is asking potential blood donors to speak with one of the nurses at 1 888 2 DONATE.