For World Blood Donor Day on June 14, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) launched new knowledge displaying important progress in voluntary blood donation all through Latin America and the Caribbean, whereas highlighting ongoing challenges in attaining 100% voluntary donations.
The preliminary report, Entry to Blood for Transfusion in Latin American and Caribbean International locations 2023, reveals that 23 international locations collected 9,212,861 models of blood final 12 months—a 15.5% enhance in comparison with 7,776,198 models collected in 2020. Practically 80% of those international locations reported notable good points, attributed to post-pandemic restoration efforts and new consciousness campaigns.
“Equitable entry to protected blood is a proper for all folks and may solely be assured by means of well-organized, environment friendly programs based mostly on common, voluntary, and non-remunerated donation,” mentioned Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO Director. “We’re grateful to those that give generously and encourage extra folks to affix this life-saving act of solidarity.”
The area averages 16 donations per 1,000 inhabitants, however disparities stay: 13 international locations fall beneath this common, whereas 10 exceed it. Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina contribute 75% of the full donations.
In 2023, 56.8% of blood got here from voluntary donors, marking a 6.7% rise since 2019 and resuming pre-pandemic progress developments. This progress was fueled by digital campaigns, cell blood drives, and institutional partnerships. The remainder got here from household or shut contacts responding to direct requests. No paid donations have been reported.
Mauricio Beltrán, PAHO’s Regional Blood Providers Advisor, emphasised the significance of normal altruistic donors to forestall shortages and maintain equitable entry. “We’d like extra common, altruistic donors,” he mentioned, noting that one-time household donations, whereas useful, are usually reactive fairly than proactive.
The report additionally highlights security enhancements: all donated models have been screened for transfusion-transmissible infections, and 90% have been fractionated into parts like purple blood cells and plasma to optimize medical use.
Regardless of good points, blood programs face structural challenges, together with fragmentation: over 1,900 assortment websites and 1,400 processing facilities function independently, limiting effectivity. Solely 4 international locations course of over 10,000 models yearly, with Paraguay main at 20,706 models.
Blood transfusions stay vital for treating postpartum hemorrhage, childhood anemia, catastrophe accidents, and complicated surgical procedures. PAHO urges governments to put money into nationwide blood programs, promote voluntary donation, and strengthen oversight to make sure protected and equitable entry.
This 12 months’s World Blood Donor Day theme, “Give blood, give hope: Collectively we save lives,” continues to encourage and thank donors throughout the area for his or her life-saving contributions.
