Health authorities in Canada are investigating the deaths of two people, including a Nigerian international student, following plasma donations at private collection centres in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Okay News reports that one of the victims, Rodiyat Alabede, a 22-year-old Nigerian student, died on October 25, 2025 after donating plasma at the Grifols Plasma Donation Centre on Taylor Avenue.
Alabede had relocated from Nigeria to Canada in 2022 to study at the University of Winnipeg.
A friend of the student, Mary Ann Chika, said she later identified Alabede at the hospital after doctors confirmed her death.
According to her account, medical staff informed her that the student’s heart stopped while she was undergoing the plasma donation procedure at the facility.
Health Canada confirmed that it had received two reports of fatal adverse reactions involving plasma donors — one in October 2025 and another on January 30, 2026.
The second incident reportedly occurred after a plasma donation at another Grifols clinic located on Innovation Drive in Winnipeg, although authorities have not released the identity of the second victim.
Health Canada said investigations are ongoing and that regulators have not yet established any direct link between the plasma donation process and the deaths.
The agency added that officials have visited the clinics to carry out inspections following the reported incidents.
Plasma donation involves drawing blood from a donor, separating the plasma — a yellowish liquid rich in antibodies — and returning the red blood cells to the donor’s body.
Medical experts generally consider the process safe, although donors may sometimes experience side effects such as dizziness, fatigue, dehydration, bruising or fainting.
Grifols, a Spanish healthcare company that operates several plasma collection centres across Canada, expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
The company said that based on available information, it had no reason to believe there was a connection between the donors’ deaths and the plasma donation procedures.
Plasma collected from donors is commonly used to produce medicines that treat infections, bleeding disorders and certain liver conditions.
