Germany’s Health Minister, Nina Warken, has appealed to young people to donate blood, particularly on World Blood Donor Day, this Saturday. Warken emphasized the importance of blood donation, stating that it saves lives and that everyone may need blood in an emergency or during operations. “That’s why I’m calling on everyone to join in. Especially young people, I’m urging you to do so. It’s a good deed and you’re making a difference” she said.
According to a spokesperson for the Ministry, Germany is facing a demographic shift, which will require more blood donors in the future. The country is seeing a growing number of patients in need of blood transfusions, but a decreasing number of potential donors. The current average age of blood donors is 48 and it is crucial to motivate young people to donate.
Every day, approximately 15,000 blood donations are required in Germany. While the current blood supply is sufficient, the Ministry notes that there are regular regional shortages, particularly during the summer months, due to factors such as vacations and heatwaves.
Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa, the head of Caritas, also called on the government to improve the hospital reform, citing the need for trust in the healthcare system to ensure a willingness to donate blood. “People must be able to rely on the availability of doctors and hospitals, even in rural areas. Health Minister Warken must urgently address the regional healthcare situation in the hospital reform” she said.
Blood donation, according to Welskop-Deffaa, is a remarkable story of limitless humanity. “When a society succeeds in organizing blood donation reliably and non-commercially, it is a living proof that the ‘we’ is written large in the ‘I'” she added.