National Blood Programme Celebrates 80 Years of Saving Lives Together

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and Singapore Red Cross (SRC) today marked 80 years of the National Blood Programme together with donors, volunteers and partners at an event graced by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies. At the event, Minister Ong announced a new Healthpoints programme and launched the “80 for 80” Blood Donation Marathon to commemorate the milestone year. Minister Ong also presented recognition awards to the nation’s top donors, for having donated blood at least 250 times in their life.

New Initiatives to Recognise and Enhance Donor Experience

2        At the milestone event themed “80 Years of Gifting Blood”, Minister Ong announced various new initiatives to enhance the donor experience. This included a new initiative for blood donors in the second half of 2026 where HSA, SRC and the Health Promotion Board will award donors with Healthpoints for every successful blood donation, via the Healthy 365 mobile application. With the points, donors can redeem MediShield Life premium discounts, eVouchers for use at participating lifestyle retailers and food outlets, and donations to community causes. More details will be announced in June 2026.

3        Donors can also look forward to new initiatives designed to make blood donation more convenient. HSA will roll out an electronic donor eligibility tool on its website in May 2026. By providing information on destinations visited and return dates, donors will get instant advice on when they are eligible to donate and be seamlessly guided through the appointment booking process. This will help them plan their donations around travel schedules and cut unnecessary trips to Bloodbanks.

4        Plans are also underway to integrate the DonateBlood app with the HealthHub app. Donors can also look forward to greater convenience when booking and managing their donation appointments, alongside their healthcare-related appointments on a single platform. Further details will be shared once plans are finalised.

'80 for 80' Blood Donation Marathon

5        The "80 for 80" Blood Donation Marathon aims to kickstart a nationwide movement to get more organisations committed to supporting the National Blood Programme. The initiative seeks to catalyse a sustained culture of care and community commitment, marking the beginning of a long-term effort to strengthen Singapore's blood donation ecosystem. HSA will lead by example as the first organisation to participate, followed by ITE College Central. The marathon will conclude with SRC at year's end.

6        Adjunct Professor (Dr) Raymond Chua, Chief Executive Officer, Health Sciences Authority, said: "We hope to take this opportunity in this milestone year for the National Blood Programme, to grow a culture of care and community commitment in Singapore. Everyone can play a part, but we would like to start with organisations that have a bigger workforce, to encourage their staff to donate blood and to do so regularly. We believe this will inspire more companies and individuals to do so, and in turn, be part of a meaningful movement to care for one another, and to save lives."

Possible Blood Supply Crisis in Seven Years

7        While the National Blood Programme has successfully met Singapore's blood demands over the past 80 years, Singapore faces a looming supply crisis. Based on current population trends, HSA predicts that the demand for blood could outstrip supply in as early as seven years.

8        On the supply side, Singapore's youth donor pool is shrinking drastically. Youth donations have fallen by more than half, from 20,000 to under 9,600 over the past decade, despite overall donor numbers growing by 9 per cent. The decline is driven by a 15 per cent drop in youth population during the same period and declining participation rates among young people.

9        Meanwhile, demand continues its upward trajectory, growing 1 to 1.3 per cent annually over the next decade. This surge is driven primarily by Singapore's rapidly ageing population and rising cancer incidence, which together account for the majority of blood usage in Singapore.

Tackling the Challenge

i) More Inclusive in Recruiting Donors

10       Through rigorous, evidence-based policy reviews of donor eligibility criteria, Singapore has progressively welcomed more blood donors over the years. The most recent updates have expanded eligibility for individuals who previously lived in countries with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) risk in 2023 and raised the age limit for first-time donors to 65 years old in 2026.

11       These policy changes have yielded encouraging results. As of 31 March 2026, 134 donors who previously lived in vCJD-affected countries have contributed a total of 451 apheresis donations at Bloodbank@HSA, where only specific blood components are collected. Close to 60 seniors have come forward to donate blood since the age limit increase took effect on 2 January 2026. These evidence-based policy updates have successfully expanded the donor base while maintaining the highest safety standards for blood recipients.

ii) Intensify Partnership with Workplaces

12       With donors aged 31 to 40 representing the largest donation age group, most of whom are working adults, workplaces have emerged as an effective channel for outreach through partnerships with organisations and employers. When employers regard blood donation as a corporate social responsibility, their staff are more likely to come together and respond positively to blood drives and centre booking.

13       Several healthcare partners are strong supporters and hold regular blood drives annually, including IHH Healthcare Singapore, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Mount Alvernia Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and Woodlands Hospital. Additionally, Singapore General Hospital, National Cancer Centre Singapore, National Dental Centre Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, and Singapore National Eye Centre have recently adopted Bloodbank@HSA to encourage regular staff donations.

14       With the public sector employing a sizeable workforce in Singapore, HSA has worked with the Public Service Division to grant public officers one day of volunteering leave for blood donation. This policy enables public officers across all agencies to contribute to this national cause, demonstrating the Government's commitment to leading by example. This initiative aims to encourage the entire public sector to unite in doing their part to secure Singapore's blood supply and set an example for the private sector to follow suit.

iii) Strengthen Youth Engagement

15       SRC has enhanced youth engagement by meeting young people where they are, leveraging brands and activities that resonate with them as bridges to spread awareness, spark interest, and inspire donation and advocacy. This year, SRC will be partnering with popular brands like Mixue and Wiggle Wiggle to reach younger audiences effectively.

16       Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General/CEO, Singapore Red Cross said: “Partnerships with lifestyle events and brands catalyse interest and conversations around blood donation amongst the youth, which in turn encourage them to kickstart or sustain their blood donation journeys. Through every blood donation, someone is given a fresh start, and a second chance to live a fulfilling life. Not only does blood donation save lives, the act of giving strengthens social capital, and deepens community bonds. Today, on our 80th Anniversary of the National Blood Programme, we celebrate blood donors who have looked beyond themselves to contribute to the greater good - a powerful demonstration of a ‘We-First’ society.”

17         Beyond brand partnerships, SRC will be organising diverse engagement activities throughout the year in conjunction with the National Blood Programme’s 80^th anniversary including its own fitness challenge for donors on 16 May 2026 at Choa Chu Kang SAFRA as well as islandwide pop-up exhibitions.

18       The pop-up exhibition walks visitors through the blood donation experience, from preparation to recovery, featuring interactive iron-rich mala store, a travel deferral airport check-in counter simulation, and blood donation mock-up stations to deliver blood donation message in an engaging and fun way. Following its debut at ARTBOX in April, the pop-up exhibition will next be at the World Blood Donor Day celebration at Singapore EXPO on 27 June 2026.

19       YouthInspire, a dedicated youth volunteer club with over 1,000 members, will run the upcoming exhibition. The club aims to cultivate the next generation of blood donors through peer-to-peer advocacy, equipping youth leaders with the skills to champion the cause. Through vibrant, ground-up campaigns and events by these youth leaders, the National Blood Programme seeks to grow youth donor participation and builds a sustainable, supportive network of young volunteers who inspire their peers.

20       Eight simple ways where everyone can play their part to save lives through the National Blood Programme (see Annex A). Follow SRC on Instagram @HeyBloodBuddy and HSA on Instagram @HSA.Singapore for the latest updates.

HEALTH SCIENCES AUTHORITY
SINGAPORE RED CROSS
SINGAPORE
15 APRIL 2026

Annex A