By Salt 106.5 Network Friday 23 Aug 2024Health and WellbeingReading Time: 2 minutes

The demand for blood in Australia is extremely high at the moment, peaking at its highest levels in almost a decade.

Key points

• Population growth and seasonal changes are factors in the deficit.
• “We need an extra 1800 people across the nation to come in and donate before the end of the month to make up the shortfall,” Marit said.
• Blood types O and A are particularly needed.

Despite a generous pool of around 500,000 donors, we’re still grappling with a dangerous shortfall.

Marit Malinon is the Relations Manager for Western Sydney at the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. She caught up with Ben McEachen to discuss what this deficit means, and what we can about it.

“Despite record numbers of people donating blood and plasma, demand for blood is actually at its highest level in nearly a decade” Marit said and explained that population growth and seasonal changes are the main factors.

“During winter, about one in every five blood donations has been cancelled due to reasons like cold, flu, and Covid,” she said of dwindling donation numbers.

Population growth and seasonal changes are factors in the deficit.

“There’s now more than 13 million people in Australia who are eligible to donate blood. But they’re not.”

With only 3% of the population currently donating blood, the impact on medical treatments for conditions like cancer is concerning.

So Lifeblood has put out an urgent call.

“We need an extra 1800 people across the nation to come in and donate before the end of the month to make up the shortfall,” she said.

“We need an extra 1800 people across the nation to come in and donate before the end of the month to make up the shortfall,” Marit said.

“Australia has always been fantastic at responding when we make the call out, and we’re confident that that’s going to happen again now.”

Our Hopeland Lifeblood team has been donating blood since 2022 – and the Lifeblood callout is a great reminder that every little bit counts.

Blood types O and A are particularly needed.

Visit lifeblood.com.au to find your nearest donor centre.

Feature image: Photo by CanvaPro