Health Officials Warn of Ongoing Shortage of Negative Blood Types Despite Improvements
The Ministry of Public Health, on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day on June 14, announced that despite improvements in blood management systems, shortages in blood supplies—especially negative blood groups—remain a serious challenge in the country. The ministry called on citizens to regularly donate blood to help save patients’ lives.
Abdulwali Haqqani, Deputy Minister for Health Services of the Ministry of Public Health, said at a related event that some patients still do not have immediate access to suitable negative blood when needed. According to him, the shortage of blood supplies sometimes complicates the treatment process for patients.
He described blood donation as a simple yet valuable humanitarian act and added that according to World Health Organization recommendations, at least one percent of a country’s population should regularly donate blood to ensure adequate supplies.
Meanwhile, Wahid Alkozai, Head of Therapeutic Medicine at the Ministry of Public Health, announced the activation of standardized separation and storage systems at the Central Blood Bank and several regional hospitals. He said plans are underway to expand these systems to other healthcare centers, increasing patient access to safe and quality blood.
Officials at the Central Blood Bank reported that more than 220,000 units of blood were donated by citizens in the past year, which were used to treat over 250,000 patients nationwide. However, Zakil Niazmand, the bank’s director, emphasized that the shortage of negative blood groups remains a major challenge due to the limited number of donors from these groups.
Doctors also say that blood donation not only saves patients’ lives but benefits the donors’ health by improving blood circulation and helping regenerate blood cells.
World Blood Donor Day is celebrated annually on June 14 to honor donors and raise public awareness about the importance of blood donation worldwide.
