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Fewer young people in Singapore donating blood even as demand rises from ageing population: Red Cross

SINGAPORE — Fewer young people aged between 16 and 25 years old are stepping forward as blood donors in Singapore, with the Singapore Red Cross reporting a drop of 44 per cent over the last decade.

Fewer young people aged between 16 and 25 years old are stepping forward as blood donors in Singapore.

Fewer young people aged between 16 and 25 years old are stepping forward as blood donors in Singapore.

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SINGAPORE — Fewer young people aged between 16 and 25 years old are stepping forward as blood donors in Singapore, with the Singapore Red Cross reporting a drop of 44 per cent over the last decade.

From January to October this year, about 10,100 youth donors showed up, forming 14 per cent of the total number of donors.

This slide is worrying, according to the humanitarian group, as the demand for blood has risen by 4 per cent over the last five years.

RISE IN DEMAND

Demand is expected to climb further amid the country’s ageing population, as elderly people are more prone to health issues that might require blood transfusions, such as dialysis treatment.

In 2020, about one in six Singaporeans were aged 65 and above, with the figure forecast to rise to one in four by 2030.

“In the next five to 10 years, the aged population is going to increase. It's already been increasing (and) it's going to increase a lot more,” Mr Prakash Menon, group director of the Singapore Red Cross’ blood donor programme, told CNA.

“When it (the aged population) increases in Singapore, it comes with health issues. And if it comes with health issues, one of the issues would be blood donation and blood transfusion, so that's where we need the younger generation to come forward and donate."

Only around 1.8 per cent of Singapore’s population regularly donates blood, according to the Singapore Red Cross.

Usage is now increasing, as hospitals are catching up on a backlog of elective surgeries and treatment that had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A total of 15 units of blood — about 6.7 litres — is needed each hour every day, with 54 per cent used for surgery, 31 per cent used for general medicine, 9 per cent for blood diseases, and 6 per cent for accidents.

To meet the needs of patients, the organisation needs to collect about 400 units of blood daily.

When stocks dip to critical levels — less than six days’ worth of reserves — elective surgeries, such as the removal of tonsils or cleft lip repair, will be postponed to save blood for life-saving emergencies, explained the Singapore Red Cross.

Currently, stocks in Singapore are at a moderate to healthy level, apart from that of blood group O+.

To meet the needs of patients, the Singapore Red Cross needs to collect about 400 units of blood daily.

COURAGE TO SAVE LIVES

Mr Cho Jun Ming, 27, started his journey as a blood donor almost a decade ago, in honour of his late father.

He has since contributed more than 10 litres of blood over 30 sessions.

"I want to contribute back to society by helping others that are in need, because my late father also went through a lot of surgeries that needed blood transfusion in his life,” said Mr Cho, who is the creative director of media company HyperLive Entertainment.

He had chanced upon a mobile blood bank in his school when he was 18 and decided to step forward to donate.

Initially, Mr Cho was nervous as he thought the needle would be as big as the one used in his late father’s dialysis sessions. However, he soon realised that his fears were unfounded.

“And I recalled, he told me that it's okay to have the courage to save another's life when you have the ability to do so. So I decided to give it a go and kick-start my journey of blood donation,” he told CNA.

However, the number of young donors like Mr Cho has been steadily dropping from 13,967 in 2021, to around 12,000 last year.

The transition from student to working life could have led to many in the segment taking a break from donating, according to the Singapore Red Cross.

Others who are keen to donate were also turned away as they had low blood iron levels, which could be caused by a low-iron diet or vigorous exercise.

The Singapore Red Cross has been stepping up on its youth engagement efforts, by tapping on social media and partnering with institutes of higher learning to organise blood donation drives.

Blood donation is typically low during the year-end period, long weekends and school holidays, as donors tend to travel during these times.

The humanitarian body is hence urging for more people to step forward and donate, before they leave for their holidays. CNA

For more reports like this, visit cna.asia.

Related topics

Singapore Red Cross Youth ageing population blood donation

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