China's blood donation rate rises, supply efforts ongoing

China's national blood donation rate has risen to 11.4 donors per 1,000 people, but blood donations decreased year-on-year in 2024, leading to continued blood supply shortages, said a health official on Thursday.

Gao Guangming, deputy director of the National Health Commission's department of medical emergency response, said that the nation faces ongoing blood shortages due to factors such as the rapidly aging population and lifestyle changes.

"There is a rising demand for blood for clinical use and seasonal, regional and blood-type-specific shortfalls still exist," he said.

Gao said that the commission has intensified awareness campaigns, upgraded management systems to monitor blood stocks, and implemented precise cross-regional blood allocations while improving blood testing systems to ensure safety.

The commission has also established an online platform to streamline the waiver process for blood use fees among donors, he added.