America is almost out of blood and that’s raising a host of concerns for the Red Cross and hospitals around the country.
Early this January, the American Red Cross made an emergency call for blood and platelet donations across the United States due to a severe winter shortage.
Human blood cannot be manufactured, and no substitute for it has yet been invented. At the same time, blood, like fresh produce, is a perishable product, with platelets lasting five days and red blood cells 42.
Donors, who are the raw material suppliers of blood products, typically can donate no more than three times per year.
The demand for blood is unpredictable. There’s not a great demand unless there is a natural disaster or other public health emergency. And the blood industry is at a crossroads, due to fluctuating demand over the past decade.
Health experts say the future for blood supply chains is fraught with uncertainty. There could be another rise in demand in coming years due to population increases. And changing demographics, such as baby boomers’ aging, will be a new influence. The unpredictability of natural and man-made disasters mandates that all blood banks stay alert and be responsive to fluctuating demand and supply.
Ann Nagurney at the University of Massachusetts says blood donors must be nurtured. An estimated 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood at any given time, but less than 10 percent of that eligible population actually donates blood each year.