An imbalance in blood collection and demand is anticipated to occur in the near future in Taiwan

Abstract

Due to excessive clinical blood usage and a rapidly aging population, an impending blood shortage in Taiwan is inevitable. This study aimed to determine the potential blood deficit in Taiwan in 2030. The numbers of units of whole blood (WB) donated and red blood cells (RBC) transfused will increase from 1,182,973 to 1,115,803 in 2018 to 1,230,500 and 1,250,760 in 2030, respectively. Considering the gap between donation and transfusion, we estimate a deficit of 97,633 units of WB in 2030. Blood collection will increasingly rely on donors over the age of 40. Moreover, we observed a large decline in units of WB donated among people less than 25 years old. A growing demand for RBC is attributed to the aging population and limited decreases in age-specific units of RBC transfused per capita. Scrutinizing and forecasting changes in blood collection and transfusion are necessary for generating strategies to mitigate blood shortages.

Keywords: Blood donation; Blood transfusion; Patient blood management.