Donors give blood because it is a concrete way to help patients. Donating blood also brings joy to the donors themselves. In 2022, more than 115,000 people donated blood in Finland.
"I donate blood because it makes me happy and I can make a difference," says blood donor Miikka Kujanpää.
"Just the thought that such a small action can help patients in hospital is rewarding. It makes me happy.”
Kujanpää is one of the 115,528 Finns who signed up for blood donation in 2022. Donors can give blood for the first time if they are aged 18-59. Regular donors can continue to give blood until the age of 71.
Both existing and new donors are needed
In 2022, a total of 18,800 blood donors, or 16% of all visitors, gave blood for the first time. Whole blood was donated 181,406 times in total, which was about 2% less than in the previous year.
The effects of the pandemic, i.e. teleworking and reduced travel, were also reflected in the decrease in blood donors, especially at the Blood Service's permanent units in city centres. However, the situation has slowly started to improve, supported by active marketing and changes in opening hours.
Blood donors help patients
Approximately 40,000 patients in Finland need blood every year. Blood donors provide concrete help to patients in hospitals, as the Blood Service produces the safe blood products that patients need from donated blood and distributes them to all hospitals in Finland.
The Blood Service is the only operator in its field in Finland, so together with blood donors, it produces security of supply for all of society.
"The Blood Service examines the safety of donated blood and provides hospitals with the clinical laboratory tests needed for blood transfusions and transplants on a 24/7 basis," says Willy Toiviainen, Director of Communications and Human Resources at the Blood Service.
