SINGAPORE – With a potential blood supply crisis looming in 2033 and the youth donor pool trending smaller, the authorities are introducing new incentives to attract and retain blood donors, including giving out Healthpoint rewards.
“Difficult times lie ahead. We need to start taking measures to address these challenges,” said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung on April 15.
“Today, we are still in a fairly okay position where the supply of blood donations is higher than demand, generally, over the course of the year. But the demand curve is pointing up, while the supply curve is pointing down.
“In seven years’ time, the two curves will cross, and that is when demand is projected to outstrip supply.”
According to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), this projection is based on current population trends.
When blood demand is greater than supply, surgical procedures requiring transfusion support may have to be delayed or even cancelled, Mr Ong said. Anaemic patients may be unable to receive necessary blood transfusions, which can lead to serious complications or even death.
He was speaking at the launch of the 80 For 80 Blood Donation Marathon on April 15 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the National Blood Programme. The marathon aims to get a total of 80 organisations to have at least 80 members of its staff to contribute 80 units of blood.
From the second half of 2026, HSA, Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and Health Promotion Board will award Healthpoints through the Healthy 365 mobile application to blood donors.
Healthpoints can be redeemed for e-vouchers to use for public transportation, as well as at certain food outlets and supermarkets. MediShield Life premium discounts of up to $580 can also be redeemed with Healthpoints.
Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung announced new incentives and measures to attract and retain blood donors at the launch of the 80 For 80 Blood Donation Marathon on April 15.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
About 130,000 units of blood are collected annually and there is currently more than 77,000 donors – 1.3 per cent of Singapore’s total population.
At least around 120,000 units are needed in a year, with demand expected to grow by 1 to 1.3 per cent each year over the next decade.
The rising demand is driven primarily by the rapidly ageing population and rising cancer incidence, which together account for the majority of blood usage here.
On the other hand, the youth donor pool is shrinking drastically.
In 2025, 12 per cent of the donor pool, or less than 9,600 people, were donors aged 16 to 25 years. This was down from 28 per cent, or about 20,000 youth, in 2015.
HSA and SRC said in a joint press release that the decline in youth donors is driven by a 15 per cent drop in youth population over the decade, as well as declining donor participation rates among young people.
For the convenience of blood donors, HSA will have a new electronic donor eligibility tool on its website from May, allowing donors to get instant information on their eligibility based on recent travel history.
The tool will inform donors when they can next donate and book an appointment to do so.
The DonateBlood app will also be integrated with the HealthHub app in future for donors to book and manage both donation and healthcare-related appointments through the same app.
Other efforts to increase blood donations include a review of donor eligibility criteria to be more inclusive, such as raising the age limit for first-time donors to 65 years from 2026 – this has resulted in nearly 60 seniors stepping forward to donate blood for the first time.
At the anniversary event, Mr Ong also presented recognition awards to 34 donors who had donated blood at least 250 times.
One of the recipients is Mr Lim Kim Koon, who has made 368 donations since he started doing so at age 18.
Mr Lin Kim Koon (left) donates blood regularly and is one of Singapore’s top donors, having made 368 blood donations to date.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
The 62-year-old insurance agent has maintained a healthy lifestyle for many years, including running for about two hours almost every day and having his meals prepared with less sugar, less salt and less oil.
This has helped him keep in shape in order to donate blood every 28 days.
His elder sister, his daughter and a fellow volunteer at the Tzu Chi Foundation have been inspired by his example to start donating blood too.
Mr Lim intends to donate blood until he is 75 years old, HSA’s age limit for repeat donors.
“I hope to be able to continue contributing to such life-saving efforts, which any regular person can be part of,” he said.