Why donate blood?

Blood donations are needed every day to provide sick and injured people with vital blood products. Around 700 blood donations are needed each day in Switzerland to treat cancer patients, accident victims and people with blood disorders. But only 2.5% of the population in Switzerland donate on a regular basis.

Due to clotting and the breakdown of important nutrients in blood, donated blood can only be stored for a limited period: 7 days in the case of platelets, a maximum of 49 days for red cells. This means that regular blood donations are necessary to ensure that hospitals have enough blood to meet their needs. The demand for blood of different blood types can vary.

The Blood Supply Barometer lets you see which blood type is needed at any given time. This enables you to take the current situation into account when planning your blood donation appointments.