Since blood cannot be artificially manufactured, our community’s blood supply depends on voluntary donors, without whom we wouldn’t be able to do what we do in service of our community.
Nationally, the collection of blood and recruitment of donors in the United States is facilitated by a network more than 50 nonprofit community blood centers, collecting majority of the blood used for patient transfusions every year from community members.
The U.S. Blood Supply
Today, the blood supply faces challenges, including an aging donor base and decline in the overall number of blood donors each year, particularly those under the age of 50, along with a reduction of school and business-based blood drives, and met with an increase in population and additions of and advancements in healthcare services.
In fact, nearly 60% of blood donations come from individuals over 40, with almost 45% from people over 50. This is significant, as donations from younger generations remain pivotal for the stability and diversification of the blood supply.
Additionally, creating a diverse pool of blood donors is vital for patient care, particularly for those with conditions that require frequent transfusions, like Sickle Cell disease and Thalassemia, blood disorders that disproportionately affect minority populations.
Together, we can make a difference for patients.
Blood Advocacy Week, June 9-13, is designed to help address these challenges, further policies, and ensure blood products remain available for all patients in need. This year, We Are Blood joins over 80 organizations and community members united during Blood Advocacy Week to champion policies that strengthen and diversify our nation’s blood supply.
To close out the week, we celebrate World Blood Donor Day on June 14. A day dedicated to expressing gratitude to all voluntary blood donors for giving their time and their life-saving contributions across the globe.