Banking on Blood

“Blood connects us all” is the theme for the WHO's World Blood Donor Day, taking place on June 14, 2016. This event celebrates those who have saved lives through blood donation andmotivates healthy individuals who have yet to donate. Blood is an extraordinary tissue that performs a huge array of vital functions within the body. Red blood cells (RBCs) contain hemoglobin (Hb) that transports oxygen to tissues. White blood cells (WBCs) make up the immune system that protects the body against infectious diseases, and platelets are able to clot blood vessels during injury. Blood supplies the body with nutrients and hormones found in the plasma, removes waste and regulates acidity and temperature. Given these vital functions, when one or more of blood's components fail to work as it should, or if it is lost in sufficient quantities, serious disorders can arise. Approximately one-third of theworld's population has some formof anemia (abnormally low Hb levels), making this range of disorders the most common clinical problemworldwide.Within the European Union alone, the economic burden of hematologic disorders has been estimated at €23 billion per year. A global challenge of this magnitude must be dealt with strategically. At the beginning of 2016, the European Hematology Association (EHA) published a consensus document bringing together experts to identify unmet clinical and scientific needs to facilitate hematology research. This EHA roadmap breaks down hematology into several categories depending on the nature of the condition. Specific priorities within each field are assigned and accompanied by research proposals and anticipated impact. Transfusion medicine is one of the highlighted areas. Blood transfusions are commonly used to reduce maternal mortality, treat patients with blood disorders and enable major surgery including organ transplantation. According to WHO figures, the total number of blood donations collected globally has increased by 25% over the last decade to around 108 million. Although encouraging, the rate of blood donation in low-income countries is 0.39% of the population, compared to 3.7% in high-income countries, creating a disparity in available blood. Socio-economic factors also reflect the way blood is utilized: in lowincome countries, approximately 65% of blood transfusions are given to children under 5 years of age, whereas over 75% of blood transfusions in high-income countries are given to patients over 65 years old. It is therefore essential to ensure that blood supply adequately meets the healthcare system's needs. Having sufficient access to blood is not the only challenge. Particularly in under-resourced countries another problem is determining the quality of donated blood. Transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) such as HIV and hepatitis B/C are prevalent in countries that do not implement sufficient blood screening. Themost common reason is insufficient access to test kits, and the issue is compounded by a lack of external quality assessment schemes. Although TTIs are less of a