The World Health Organization reported on June 12 that while global blood supplies have improved over the past decade, significant inequalities in access to safe blood persist worldwide.
Data collected from 132 countries show that global blood collections increased by nearly 19% between 2013 and 2023. Voluntary, unpaid donors contributed more than 85% of the estimated 120 million blood donations received in 2023.
Despite these gains, many patients—including women experiencing life-threatening bleeding during childbirth, children with severe anaemia, trauma or burn victims, surgical patients, and people living with conditions such as sickle-cell disease—still lack reliable access to safe transfusions. The disparity is particularly acute in lower-income countries. High-income countries account for just 15% of the world’s population but collect 36% of all blood donations globally. In contrast, lower-income nations face shortages due to limited financing, weak infrastructure, logistical barriers, and insufficient donor recruitment.
Blood donation rates differ widely across regions: some countries report as few as 0.4 donations per 1,000 people while others reach up to 53 per 1,000. Twenty-four countries collected fewer than five donations per thousand residents last year. The proportion of voluntary unpaid donors also varies; high-income nations report a rate of over 98%, compared to just over 63% in low-income settings where health systems struggle to maintain adequate supplies.
The WHO said that strong governance and regulation are essential for ensuring safe blood supplies, but noted that nearly one-third of surveyed countries still lack specific legislation on this issue. Only about two-thirds conduct regular inspections or have licensing systems for their services; just four out of ten indicated any level of accreditation for transfusion services. Financing remains a concern: more than one in seven countries reported no dedicated government funding nor cost-recovery mechanisms for their national blood programs.
Ahead of World Blood Donor Day on June 14 under the theme “One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives,” the WHO called on governments and partners to strengthen governance and regulation around blood services, ensure sustainable financing models, and expand quality assurance programs so all patients can receive timely access to safe transfusions.
