First-time blood donor age limit to be raised from 60 to 65 from Jan 1: Ong Ye Kung
SINGAPORE - The upper age limit for first-time blood donors in Singapore will be raised from 60 to 65 from January 1, 2026, with improvement in life expectancy and people getting stronger in their older years.
The move to expand the blood donor pool comes amid local data that shows adverse donor reactions, like like fainting and dizziness, decreases among first-time donors as they get older, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on June 28.
This change also aligns with practices in territories such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Korea and United Kingdom. These countries and cities generally allow first-time donors aged 65 to 69.
The current first-time donation age limit is 60. Once a person has donated blood before, they can continue to do so up to the day before their 66th birthday.
Mr Ong made the announcement to raise the age limit at a World Blood Donor Day event by the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
'Each blood donation saves up to three lives, such as a child battling cancer, a mother in labour or an elderly person undergoing surgery,' he said at the event at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
In 2023, more than 35,000 patients in Singapore received life-saving blood transfusions .
The health minister recounted how his mother needed quite a bit of blood transfusion in the past as she was sick, but he would always get rejected at the blood bank when trying to donate as he lived in the UK in the 1980s.
Singapore used to restrict blood donations from people who had lived in the UK due to concerns over the Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) linked to the consumption of contaminated beef.
The worry was valid, Mr Ong said, but he was thankful that he can now donate blood after HSA eased restrictions for blood donations through aphresis in 2023. Whole blood donations collect the blood with all its components, while apheresis donations collect specific blood components such as plasma or platelets.
More than 2,000 blood donors and 37 organisations were lauded at the event on June 28 .
SRC and HSA said in a joint statement that these contributions are significant given the current challenges facing Singapore's blood supply.
'As Singapore approaches super-aged status in 2026, ensuring a sustainable blood supply is becoming more urgent,' they said.
Singapore's ageing population presents a challenge as patients aged 60 and above now account for 60 per cent of total red blood cell usage, yet the pool of eligible donors is shrinking pool, they added.
New blood donor numbers have declined by more than 11 per cent since 2013. Singapore had around 18,000 new donors in 2024, down from more than 20,000 in 2013.
Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung delivers his speech during the World Blood Donor Day 2025 Award Ceremony at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention on June 28.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Many donate blood, bu t only four in 10 donors give more than once a year, SRC and HSA said.
'This low rate of repeat donation underscores the urgent need to cultivate more committed, regular donors who make blood donation part of their lifestyle.'
SRC and HSA have partnered workplaces to grow the donor pool, encouraging organisations over the past year to 'adopt' a bloodbank and promote blood donation among employees.
At the June 28 event, three organisations - Buddhist temple Varadhatus Ratanarama Association, Combat Service Support Command by The Singapore Army, and the Singapore Bangladesh Society - were recognised with a new award, for each donating more than 40 units of blood annually.
The Adopt the Bloodbank Award aims to boost participation beyond one -off blood drives and encourages organisations to take sustained ownership over the bloodbank they adopt.
Youth is also another target group of donors.
The YouthInspire club, launched in 2024 to encourage youth aged 16 to 25 to donate blood, has since drawn 450 young people to run donor recruitment events and campaigns.
A new Blood Donation Advocacy Challenge held in partnership with the National Youth Council (NYC), will launch in 2025 for youth between 16 to 25 years old. Those interested can look out for updates on the HeyBloodBuddy Instagram page.
Teams will develop campaigns to boost youth donations, with three finalists presenting their ideas at the inaugural National Blood Dialogue in September. Winners will receive the NYC Young ChangeMakers grant of up to $3,000 or $5,000 to bring their campaigns to life .
Mr Elvis Chung, 52, was diagnosed with thalassemia major when he was seven, and received occasional blood transfusions in his early years.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Mr Elvis Chung, 52, was diagnosed with thalassemia major when he was seven, and received occasional blood transfusions in his early years. The condition is an inherited blood disorder that affects the body's ability to produce haemoglobin and healthy red blood cells.
Since 2019, he has received regular blood transfusions once every three weeks.
He said: 'Thanks to your donations, I've enjoyed a fulfilling career of almost 30 years in auditing and banking. You might never meet the people who receive your blood, but you make a real difference. Your gift gives us life, hope and dignity.'
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