Healthcare Solutions - Changes in demographics will impact the DRK's blood donations.
Mark your calendars for this Friday (June 14) – it's World Blood Donation Day! Hesse's Health Minister, Diana Stolz, urges everyone to donate blood, even during the summer and vacations. Despite the fun times, there's a serious issue at hand: the need for blood donations doesn't stop, and there aren't any synthetic substitutes for it. In Germany, around 14,000 to 15,000 blood bags are needed daily to maintain a secure supply.
The German Red Cross (DRK) is pushing for new donors, especially among the younger generation. According to Martin Oesterer, Head of Donor Relations Management at the DRK Blood Donation Service Baden-Wuerttemberg/Hessen, the average age of donors is 46. The bulk of the donors come from the baby boomer generation, and as they transition from giving to receiving, it's time to find new blood donors. "Demographic change will affect us," Oesterer warns, "We need to make up for the supply shortages without any gaps."
2019 saw some changes to the blood donation guidelines. They removed the upper age limit, allowing anyone above 18 to donate if they're healthy. Homosexual and bisexual people can no longer be turned away due to their sexual orientation. These new rules were agreed upon by the Federal Medical Association, Paul Ehrlich Institute, Federal Ministry of Health, and the Robert Koch Institute. Instead of asking about sexual orientation, donors will now be questioned about their number of sexual partners and sexual practices. Heterosexual donors will also go through more specific questions about their own practices.
Despite these changes, there hasn't been a significant increase in donors - neither from the senior citizens over 72 nor from homosexual men. So if you're one of the eligible 18-year-olds, consider being a blood donor and helping overcome the supply gaps.
Read also:
- The German Red Cross (DRK) recognizes the impact of demographic change on their blood donations, particularly in light of the average age of donors being 46, which is a concern as the baby boomer generation begins to transition from giving to receiving.
- To commemorate World Blood Donor Day on June 14, Hesse's Health Minister, Diana Stolz, emphasizes the importance of blood donation, even during the summer and vacations, as there's a consistent need for blood donations and no synthetic substitutes.
- In an effort to combat supply shortages, the German Red Cross (DRK) is actively seeking new donors, especially among the younger generation, as the need for blood donations remains constant in Frankfurt am Main and across Germany, with approximately 14,000 to 15,000 blood bags required daily to maintain a secure supply.
- The CDU, along with other organizations such as the Federal Medical Association, Paul Ehrlich Institute, Federal Ministry of Health, and Robert Koch Institute, has recently updated blood donation guidelines, eliminating the upper age limit and allowing anyone over 18 to donate if they're healthy, and removing the ban on donations from homosexual and bisexual individuals based on their sexual orientation.
- In Germany, medicine relies heavily on blood donations, making it essential for individuals to consider becoming blood donors blue and white cross (DRK) to help maintain a secure and consistent blood supply for the country's thousands of patients in need, even with demographic change and deficiencies in the younger generation of donors.
