Relatively stable blood supply

Despite fluctuations, the supply of blood products in Switzerland was largely stable throughout the year.

By and large, the blood product needs of the population in Switzerland could be met at all times in 2024. A sharp rise in the demand for thrombocyte and erythrocyte concentrates during the summer months in some individual regions led to critical situations and urgent appeals for blood donation in some cases. An unusually high number of blood disease patients and cancer patients were the reason for these partial shortages. Crises like these entail enormous efforts on the part of the regional transfusion services to bring blood reserves levels back up. That this is even possible is due to the understanding and flexibility of blood donors.

The holidays and weekends over Christmas and New Year posed a particular challenge for the supply of blood to Swiss hospitals: between 24 December 2024 and 3 January 2025, numerous regular appointments to donate did not take place due to the timing of the holidays, making it more difficult to ensure sufficient blood reserves. Around 700 units of blood are needed every day to secure the supply of enough blood products to meet the needs of patients in Switzerland’s hospitals. In late November, a campaign with the slogan “The best gift EVER – Give life, donate blood” appealed to people to book an appointment to donate. The campaign fulfilled its purpose: there were no shortages during this period.

The amount of time and effort required to obtain sufficient units of donated blood at the right time continues to increase without respite. This trend is manifest in the increasing number of mobile blood drives and the concomitant decrease in the number of blood donors per drive, for instance.

«Going to donate blood may once have been something 'one' simply did, the honourable thing to do – but these days a lot more effort is required to educate and persuade young people to become blood donors.»

Tiziana Janner, Scientific Officer and Team Leader

Steady demand for blood

The hospitals’ need for blood products was largely balanced throughout the year. Due to the more efficient use of blood products by hospitals, the overall demand was once again somewhat lower than it had been the previous year.

Demand for red cell concentrates (erythrocyte concentrates), the most widely used blood products, fell by 3.6 per cent. The need for thrombocyte concentrates (platelets) increased by 5.3 per cent compared to 2023, while the demand for plasma increased by 4 per cent.

More mobile drives – fewer blood donations

Once again, the amount of effort and time required to get potential donors to come in to donate at mobile blood drives increased. Overall, 1.4 per cent more mobile blood drives were held in 2024 compared to 2023 and more communities hosted them, but the average number of blood donations collected per drive decreased. This is due in part to a drop in the number of donations collected at mobile blood drives held at companies and universities, which is a consequence of home-office arrangements and the webcasting of lectures for students.

A total of 2,120 blood drives (2023: 2,101) were held in 1,041 communities (2023: 1,027). At 60.4, the average number of donations collected per drive was again below that of the previous year (2023: 60.5). Nonetheless, mobile blood drives accounted for nearly one of every two donations, or 49.2 per cent to be exact (2023: 48.2 per cent).

Expiration rate slightly higher

Swiss Transfusion SRC and the regional blood transfusion services strive to ensure the national supply of blood products while aligning procurement activities as closely as possible with demand. There were 260,349 units of blood collected in 2024 (2023: 263,702), i.e. 1.3 per cent fewer compared to 2023.

The expiration rate specifically for red blood cell concentrates rose to 1.31 per cent in 2024 (2023: 1.08 per cent). This is still a good rate, and it shows that the regional blood transfusion services were able to respond flexibly to changes in the demand for blood by adjusting the number of blood donations – the slight increase is probably connected with the AB and B blood types, which, being rarer, are not needed as often, in conjunction with limits on the length of storage of the products derived from them.

The length of time for which blood, or rather blood products, can be stored varies. Red cell concentrates have a shelf life of 42 to 49 days, whereas platelets can only be stored for seven days. Fresh frozen plasma can be stored for as long as two years.

Swisstransfusion: Swiss congress for transfusion medicine

The 23^rd annual Swisstransfusion congress took place in Neuenburg on 5 and 6 September.

The congress offered a varied programme for the experts from the fields of transfusion medicine, apheresis and immune haematology who attended. National and international specialists gave talks on topics such as stem cell transplants, innovative cellular therapies in the fields of haemato-oncology, immunohaematology and transfusion medicine. The opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence in the health sector were examined, as were the new viral diseases appearing in Switzerland due to climate change.

A “poster walk”, where 12 posters were on display, gave young specialists the opportunity to present their work to a broad public. There were eight oral presentations as well.

World Blood Donor Day – Blood has a use-by date too

Blood donations are needed throughout the year in order to ensure that there is always a sufficient supply of blood available in Switzerland. This is because blood – like food – has a use-by date. On and around World Blood Donor Day, 14 June 2024, Swiss Transfusion SRC intensified its efforts to make the public aware of the importance of donating blood regularly, as a preventive measure, and also to thank blood donors.

The campaign created for this purpose draws a parallel between food and blood, by highlighting the fact that both have use-by dates. One motif shows an overripe banana in an otherwise empty blood bag. The effect of the ripening process, the banana turning from yellow to brown, is amplified through the use of moving imagery.

The campaign was also supported by 15 partners on their social networks and internet channels.

Raising awareness regarding the use of blood products of the RH1 (RhD) negative blood group

Although people with the 0 negative blood group are fairly rare in Switzerland – only about 6 per cent of the population has it –, demand for this blood group is nonetheless particularly high. The reason for this is that it can be issued to any patient without fear of incompatibilities. This is helpful, above all in emergencies when there is no time to perform blood group testing.

Data from the Swiss Blood Transfusion Services indicates that shortages in the supply of blood products of this blood group arise several times each year. This could have severe consequences, for instance, if insufficient blood were available in the event of a larger-scale emergency. To prevent shortage situations from arising even more often than they do, 0 negative donors have to be called in to donate quite often, a situation which is desirable neither from the perspective of donors nor that of patients. Yet, people with this blood group donate twice as often as the average member of the population.

This issue was raised in the Swiss parliament after a report in January 2024 on the use of huge quantities of 0 negative blood in private clinics in the region of Neuenburg-Jura prompted National Councillor Baptiste Hurni (SP) to submit an interpellation on the subject. He wanted to know whether private clinics all around the country were wasting 0-negative blood.

A survey of all of the regional blood transfusion services in March 2024 revealed that 0-negative blood is issued for 12 per cent of all blood transfusions. According to the Federal Council, that figure is “twice as high as one would expect based on the blood type distribution in the population”.

There are medical grounds justifying a use of 0-negative blood in somewhat more than 6 per cent of transfusions: in an emergency, there is often no time to perform blood group testing. Hospitals are urged to use blood products that are of the same blood group as the patient for transfusions whenever possible. Accordingly, only patients who are 0 negative should receive 0 negative transfusions – except in cases of time-critical emergencies.

Swiss Transfusion SRC therefore intends to encourage compliance with guidelines through a financial incentive. Specifically, Swiss Transfusion SRC will charge hospitals that receive large quantities of 0 negative blood without medical justification a flat-rate fee for the increased effort involved in blood acquisition. The Federal Office of Public Health has determined the relevant price adjustment.

Increase in the price of red cell concentrates (RCC)

A request was submitted to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) to increase the price of red cell concentrates (RCC). The situation in the blood donation system has changed significantly since the last price adjustment came into effect on 1 January 2021; that price adjustment was based on cost and performance data from 2018. These days, the income from blood products is not sufficient to sustainably finance the recruitment of new blood donors, new quality requirements and the costs of production and investments. Along with platelet concentrates (thrombocytes) and blood plasma, RCC units are the most significant cost drivers, and they are being sold at below cost under the currently valid price ex factory; a price increase for RCCs has therefore become unavoidable.

Based on the documentation provided by Swiss Transfusion SRC, which includes a detailed situation analysis, the FOPH came to the conclusion that a price increase is logical and justified under the criterion of economic viability. Accepting the FOPH’s recommendation, the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) granted the price increase for red blood cell concentrates. This change came into effect on 1 January 2025.

“Das Blut – Zyklus 2”: a new learning resource on blood donation for school pupils in years 5 and 6

The learning resource “Das Blut – Zyklus 2” was jointly developed by Swiss Transfusion SRC and Kiknet. The learning materials and the associated worksheets are designed to serve as digital learning aids with which the pupils can complete interactive tasks. Explanatory videos support learners. The corresponding digital worksheets can be used to acquire more in-depth knowledge and allow learning progress to be checked in all topic areas. The aim of the teaching material is for children to engage with the topics of blood and blood donation. Swiss Transfusion SRC believes that it is important to start educating children on this topic early on.

That is why this teaching material appropriate for younger pupils was developed in 2024, to supplement the teaching material aimed at the lower secondary level (Zyklus 3), which has been in use for several years. The new material is slated for use starting in 2025.

The learning resource is available in German-, French- and Italian-language versions.