About Blood Advocacy Week

Why We Must Act

Blood transfusion is a critical medical procedure in the United States, with a patient requiring a transfusion every two seconds. It is essential for addressing acute care needs such as trauma, as well as for managing ongoing diseases like cancer, inherited blood disorders, cardiovascular and orthopedic surgeries, and organ and bone marrow transplants.

Since blood cannot be artificially manufactured, our nation's blood supply depends on voluntary donors. The collection of blood and recruitment of donors in the United States is facilitated by a network of not-for-profit blood centers located throughout the country. More than 50 community blood centers collect the majority of the blood used by patients every year.

Today, the U.S. blood supply is facing challenges. These include declines in the overall number of blood donors each year, particularly those under the age of 50, and a reduction in school and business-based blood drives. These traditional sources of blood donation are gradually recovering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, nearly 60% of blood donations come from individuals over 40, and almost 45% are from those aged over 50. From 2019 to 2021, there was a 60.7% decrease in donations from individuals 16-18 years old and a 31.9% decrease in donations from individuals 19-24 years old. This is significant, as donations from younger generations are pivotal for the stability and diversification of the blood supply.

Creating a diverse pool of blood donors is crucial for patient care, particularly for those with conditions that require frequent transfusions, including Sickle Cell disease and Thalassemia, which disproportionately affect minority populations.

Blood Advocacy Week is designed further policies designed to help address these challenges and ensure blood products remain available for all patients in need.