HHS Pushes for More Blood and Plasma Donations
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working to increase awareness about blood and plasma donations after the supply dropped to historic lows during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The department launched a campaign on Aug. 4 to address the shortage.
According to HHS, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood for surgeries, cancer treatments, childbirth, anemia, serious injuries and blood disorders.
Blood donated from a similar ethnic background is also less likely to be rejected by a patient and results in fewer complications. Estimates show that less than 20% of all blood donations currently come from communities of color.
The campaign, known as Giving = Living, will be funded through the CARES Act. It will feature personal stories from people who benefited from donations, such as a solider from Pennsylvania who was wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan and survived because of several blood transfusions.
Alexa can be reached at [email protected]
