Increase in extreme weather events poses ‘substantial risk’ to blood supplies, researchers warn

Climate change threatens blood supplies and may also trigger an increase in the need for blood, researchers say.

Their warning comes after Cyclone Alfred last month resulted in the cancellation of more than 3,500 blood donation appointments in Queensland and NSW when 22 donor centres were closed for four days.

Researcher Elvina Viennet said the cyclone had an “unprecedented impact” on blood donations in Australia.

Dr Viennet is among a group of researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast and Australian Red Cross Lifeblood who have predicted climate change will jeopardise world blood supplies, in an article published today in The Lancet Planetary Health.

“The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, floods, hurricanes, and wildfires, pose substantial risks to human health and to the stability of the blood supply chain,” the researchers wrote.

“These events can disrupt blood donation activities, compromise transportation and storage infrastructure, and exacerbate the spread of infectious diseases, thereby affecting both the sufficiency and efficiency of blood supplies.”

The researchers’ work is believed to be the first to globally examine how climate change, including more severe weather events, could affect each stage of the blood supply chain.

Other countries may not be as prepared

Blood products are not only important for saving lives in emergencies, they are also used in many other areas of medicine, including surgery, to treat premature babies, and cancer patients.

Dr Viennet said stagnant water left behind after Cyclone Alfred had become an “excellent breeding site for mosquito populations”, increasing the risk of diseases, such as Japanese encephalitis (JEV).

“This is a direct concern when ensuring a safe blood supply,” she said, adding Lifeblood already had “robust” strategies in place to safeguard blood safety.

But other countries may not be as prepared as Australia.

The researchers also predicted climate change, including warmer temperatures, may increase the risk of infectious diseases that could be transmitted via blood in some regions, impacting donations.

“Simultaneously, the rising burden of climate-sensitive health conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory disorders, and trauma-related injuries from extreme weather events, is expected to increase transfusion demand,” they wrote.

Protecting blood supplies from climate change

Lead researcher Associate Professor Helen Faddy, of the University of the Sunshine Coast, forecast that increasing migration rates with rising sea levels could result in difficulties finding the right blood for some patients.

“It’s essential to have more blood donors from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, and to increase the number of people who give blood,” she said.

In an interview with the ABC, Dr Viennet said Australia was already taking steps to try and protect the blood supply from climate change.

“Lifeblood continues to expand mobile donation units and open new donor centres,” she said.

“By donating blood, especially regularly, Australians can help build a more resilient, lifesaving network that supports people in their most vulnerable moments. It’s a small act of kindness that carries enormous impact.”

Global innovations to lessen the impact of climate change on blood supplies include the use of drones to transport blood when other transit is disrupted.

Walk-in blood banks are also used in the US at times of “crises”.

“It’s usually when you’ve got a mass shooting,” Dr Viennet said.