STRENGTHEN YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, REACH OUT TO YOUNGER DONORS
Singapore’s youth donor pool is shrinking drastically, with donations falling by more than half from 20,000 to under 9,600 over the past decade, the authorities said.
This is despite an overall increase in donor numbers by 9 per cent.
The decline is driven by a 15 per cent drop in youth population during the same period and declining participation rates among young people, HSA and SRC said.
SRC will be partnering with popular brands such as Mixue and Wiggle Wiggle to reach younger audiences effectively, the authorities said.
Partnerships with Institutes of Higher Learning to bring blood donation drives onto campuses will also be strengthened, Mr Ong said.
Efforts will be stepped up to reach out to younger donors by strengthening partnerships with organisations and employers, Mr Ong said.
“Workplaces are an effective channel to outreach to young working adults, who are very active donors,” he noted.
“When employers regard blood donation as a corporate social responsibility, without fail, their staff will come together and respond positively.”
At the anniversary event, Mr Ong also presented recognition awards to the nation’s top donors for having donated blood at least 250 times in their life.
Among them are Mr Lim Kim Koon and Mr Philip Tan who have each donated blood more than 345 times in their lifetime.
Mr Mohamed Tahir Mohamed Yusof and Dr Sadali Bin Rasban were also honoured for donating blood for about 45 years, clocking about 300 donations each.