Declining Rates of Youth Blood Donors and Measures to Ensure Sustainability of Future National Blood Supply

5 Ms Valerie Lee asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) whether the Government is concerned about declining youth blood donor rates; (b) what measures are being taken to boost recruitment and retention of blood donors and (c) how the Ministry intends to ensure a sustainable national blood supply in the decade to come.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: The Government is indeed concerned about the drop in the number of youth donors, due to Singapore's declining youth population and their waning interest in blood donation.

Over the past year, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has been working closely with the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and its partners to roll out campaigns and outreach activities targeted at the youths to recruit them as donors or volunteers to champion blood donation. For example, thematic donation campaigns, such as the collaboration with PeanutsTM, ARTBOX and Pop Mart; SRC's youth-led volunteer club, YouthInspire, launched in June 2024 which has seen close to 1,000 youths signing up as volunteers at present; and the inaugural National Blood Dialogue with youths in September 2025 to catalyse interest and conversations amongst youth about blood donation.

To ensure a sustainable national blood supply, HSA will continue to enhance its recruitment, retention and recognition efforts to recruit more new donors, convert new and non-regular donors to become regular donors and enhance the recognition of regular blood donors. HSA and SRC will also step up outreach and partnerships with workplaces to "Adopt a Bloodbank" or be our Blood Partners to create sustained participation and ensure a stable pool of regular donors. HSA is also collaborating closely with the hospitals and clinicians to implement good evidence-based transfusion practices to better manage blood demand that could optimise patient outcomes whilst conserving blood resources.