A new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health suggests a changing climate threatens the continuous availability of safe blood across the world.
Researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast and Australian Red Cross Lifeblood say health issues, the spread of infectious disease and extreme weather exacerbated by climate change will impact the ability of people to donate, and at the same time may trigger a rise in the need for blood.
Lifeblood researcher and UniSC Adjunct Research Fellow Dr Elvina Viennet said this threatened the safety and supply of life-saving blood products crucial for surgeries, trauma care, chronic disease management – and saving lives in emergency situations.