Blood Supply: How Can Pandemic Plans Protect

Why does pandemic preparedness depend on reliable blood supplies?

The international preparedness agenda highlighted in WHO's March 2024 appeal has a practical implication for hospitals: blood services need protection when an outbreak disrupts ordinary operations. That appeal was published in 2024; it is background to this analysis, rather than a new announcement. Applying its preparedness objective to transfusion services means considering whether donors, trained staff, testing materials and transport will remain available during widespread illness. [WHO's pandemic preparedness appeal](https://www.who.int/news/item/20-03-2024-call-for-urgent-agreement-on-international-deal-to-prepare-for-and-prevent-future-pandemics).

The clinical stakes extend across hospital departments. People receiving chemotherapy, patients with inherited anemias, transplant recipients and people with severe bleeding may require donated blood or its components. Some needs arise suddenly; others require repeated treatment. The FDA identifies these groups among the patients supported by blood donation. A disruption can therefore affect people who never acquire the outbreak infection themselves. [FDA explanation of blood donation and patient needs](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/have-you-given-blood-lately).

What do WHO's blood donation figures reveal about preparedness?

In an update published on June 12, 2026, WHO estimated approximately 120 million blood donations worldwide in 2023, with more than 85% supplied voluntarily without payment. Its comparison using data from 132 countries found collections had risen by nearly 19% between 2013 and 2023. These figures describe historical collection activity; they do not measure today's inventories or establish that every hospital can meet demand. [WHO's blood supply update](https://www.who.int/news/item/12-06-2026-safe-blood-supply-improves-as-voluntary-donations-exceed-85---but-many-people-still-lack-access).

WHO also reported that higher-income countries collected 36% of donations while accounting for 15% of the world's population. Financing, infrastructure and donor recruitment remained barriers elsewhere. The preparedness implication is that rising worldwide collections cannot, by themselves, demonstrate local readiness. Hospitals also need dependable delivery, appropriate blood components and functioning safety systems. The update documents access and organizational gaps; it does not quantify how much a particular preparedness intervention would reduce deaths during a future pandemic.

How can blood services protect patients during an outbreak?

WHO's emergency guidance describes threats including fewer available donors and interruptions to materials used for collection, processing and laboratory testing. It recommends planning around local risks, maintaining essential services and supporting staff. For a blood service, that means examining the complete route from donation to hospital delivery and identifying where disruption could interrupt care. The guidance also recognizes that transfusion demand may fall in some circumstances while remaining essential for emergencies and patients needing ongoing support. [WHO guidance on blood supplies during emergencies](https://www.who.int/publications/b/65654).

Maintaining supply also requires appropriate clinical use and reliable screening. WHO recommends testing every donation for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, together with blood grouping and compatibility procedures. Avoiding unnecessary transfusions can preserve availability and reduce avoidable exposure to transfusion complications. These measures require clinical judgment: a shortage does not establish that an individual patient's prescribed transfusion is unnecessary. [WHO blood safety recommendations](https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blood-safety-and-availability).

Potential donors should follow their blood service's eligibility instructions and disclose relevant health information. The FDA identifies feeling unwell on the donation day as a possible reason for deferral. An appeal for donations does not override those safeguards, which protect both donors and recipients. [FDA donor eligibility information](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/have-you-given-blood-lately).