In Mexico, only 6.8 percent of total blood donations are made altruistically and the rest corresponds to family donation or replacement. In 2021, 76,624 donations were made altruistically, out of a total of 1,121,272, placing Mexico in the last places in Latin America.
Dr. Dante Vega Cortés, Head of the Blood Bank of the New Civil Hospital of Guadalajara Dr. Juan I. Menchaca, has explained that in Mexico, altruistic donation is decreasing in Mexico due to ignorance, mistrust, disinterest, fear, lack of time and the process involved in donating blood.
79 countries collect more than 90% of their blood supply
Regarding this, he expressed that “40 percent of the 118.5 million donations worldwide are collected in high-income countries, where 16 percent of the world’s population lives; 79 countries collect more than 90% of their blood supply in unpaid voluntary donations, which are divided as follows: 38 high-income countries, 33 middle-income countries and eight low-income countries,” as Vega reported. Cuts.
According to Dr. Esperanza Elizabeth Zuno Reyes, Head of the Blood Bank of the Old Civil Hospital of Guadalajara Fray Antonio Alcalde, “Jalisco is below the national average for altruistic donation and ranks 22nd out of the 32 entities. They occupy the first places. Durango (39.7%), San Luis Potosí (25.8%), Chihuahua (23.5%), Oaxaca (16.9%), Chiapas (11.5%).”
The blood banks of these hospitals are basically in the same percentages as the State and in the year 2022, of 18,841 donors, only 3.25 percent were altruistic donations, with the AB-RH negative type being the most difficult to obtain. get.
Zuno Reyes also noted that “when donating blood, life is shared and it must be done more frequently. Women have the option to donate up to three times a year and men up to four. We seek to obtain safe blood so as not to take risks and they are evaluated in accordance with the Official Mexican Standard 253.”
