New Healthpoint rewards among initiatives to attract more blood donors to mitigate potential supply crisis

Singapore is facing a significant decline in its youth blood donor pool, with numbers falling from 20,000 to under 9,600 over the past decade.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) identified the drop as a result of both a shrinking youth population and declining participation among young people.

Strategies to Increase Youth Blood Donors

To effectively reach younger audiences, the SRC is partnering with popular brands, including Mixue and Wiggle Wiggle.

Mr. Ong stated that partnerships with Institutes of Higher Learning will be strengthened to bring blood donation drives directly onto campuses.

Efforts are also being scaled up to engage young working adults through organizations and employers. Mr. Ong noted that workplaces are an effective outreach channel, particularly when employers treat blood donation as a corporate social responsibility.

“When employers regard blood donation as a corporate social responsibility, without fail, their staff will come together and respond positively,” Mr. Ong said.

Recognition of Long-Term Donors

During a recent anniversary event, Mr. Ong presented awards to the nation’s top donors who have each contributed blood at least 250 times.

Among the honorees were Mr. Lim Kim Koon and Mr. Philip Tan, who have both donated more than 345 times in their lifetimes.

Mr. Mohamed Tahir Mohamed Yusof and Dr. Sadali Bin Rasban were also recognized for their 45 years of service, each clocking approximately 300 donations.