Innovative transfusion strategies for blood deserts in disaster settings

Conflicts, wars and mass shootings, along with natural disasters like earthquakes and wildfires, are creating ‘blood deserts’ worldwide. A ‘blood desert’ is a geographical area where it is impossible to meet the local demand for blood components timely and affordably in at least 75% of transfusion cases. 1 2 Notably, 40% of annual blood donations originate from high-income countries, which serve only 16% of the world’s population.1 This disparity leaves the majority of the global community underserved. Recent modelling studies suggest that the commonly cited donation target rate of 10–20 units per 1000 people significantly underestimates the actual need.1 Moreover, no research has effectively captured the true need in regions with heightened blood demands, especially those experiencing conflicts and disasters, which pose significant challenges.