Extreme heat, wildfires deepen blood supply crisis in Western countries

Blood supplies have fallen to critical levels in several Western countries, prompting Red Cross organisations in the United States and Germany to issue urgent appeals for more donors as seasonal pressures, extreme weather and declining donations strain healthcare systems.

The American Red Cross declared a nationwide blood supply "crisis" this week, marking only the second such declaration in its 150-year history, as US media outlets report.

According to the organisation, a combination of factors, including wildfires and prolonged periods of extreme heat, has contributed to the shortage by increasing demand for blood while making it more difficult for volunteers to travel to donation centres.

The German Red Cross also warned of an increasingly serious situation, reporting that blood donations in recent weeks were around 40% below the level required to meet demand. The organisation cautioned that supplies could decline further as another heatwave is forecast to affect Germany later this summer. The start of the school summer holiday period, which has traditionally been associated with lower donation rates, has also contributed to the shortfall.

Dr Courtney Lawrence of the American Red Cross told the BBC that blood supplies had fallen by approximately 25% over the past month.

The shortage has emerged during the summer, when hospitals typically require more blood due to a seasonal increase in road traffic accidents and outdoor activities, which often result in injuries requiring transfusions.

"We don't have the ability to stockpile blood super far in advance because blood does have a finite shelf life, it does expire," she said.

Donated blood must generally be used within 42 days because blood cells naturally deteriorate over time.

Lawrence said some hospitals had warned that the shortage could begin affecting routine medical operations. She added that several healthcare providers were considering "whether they may need to divert patients to other trauma centres if they cannot keep enough blood on their shelves to be able to support emergencies".

The American Red Cross previously declared a blood supply crisis only once before, in January 2022, when the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with severe winter weather, significantly disrupting blood donations.

The current shortage is particularly concerning given the organisation's central role in the US healthcare system, supplying approximately 40% of the nation's blood needs. In parts of Germany, the German Red Cross provides as much as 70% of the country's blood supply, making sustained declines in donations especially challenging for hospitals and emergency services.

By Nazrin Sadigova