Abstract
Background: Of the 118.5 million blood donations collected globally in 2023, 40% of these were collected in high-income countries, home to only 16% of the global population. An increase of 10.7 million blood donations from voluntary unpaid donors, excluding paid and family and acquainted donors, has been reported from 2008 to 2018. In total, 79 countries collected over 90% of their blood supply from voluntary unpaid blood donors. However, 54 countries collected more than 50% of their blood supply from paid or family/acquainted donors.
Observation – When the COVID-19 pandemic conquered the world, the blood shortage in the less developed world unfortunately decreased. Based on samples of 1000 adult people, the pre-COVID-19 blood donation rate of 31.5 donations in high-income countries, 16.4 donations in upper-middle-income countries, 6.6 donations in lower-middle-income countries and 5.0 donations in low-income countries changed dramatically.
Response – The Asian Association of Transfusion Medicine (AATM) investigated early 2020 the blood supply situation (challenges and approaches) in 25 member states (Low-and Medium Income Countries (LMICs). The Global Transfusion Forum of the Association to Advance Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) did a survey with 31 blood collection institutions in 26 LMICs focused on characterization of the challenges experienced during the global pandemic and the adaptations and resilience, published in 2022
WHO responded immediately to the outbreak, supporting organization and governance of the blood supply.
Conclusion – Due the to the adequate action of WHO in Geneva, and the alertness of AATM, and the GTF of AABB reacting on the outbreak of the COVID-19 the pandemic turned out to be a ‘blessing in disguise’ for the future of the global blood supply illustrating prominently the existing challenges and weaknesses, and providing tools to accelerate COVID-19 risk mitigation and blood supply progress.