Kermanshah earthquake blood supply experience: Turning the risk into opportunity

Recent conflicts in the Middle East illustrate the urgent need for adaptive blood supply strategies. Lessons from the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization’s (IBTO) response to the Kermanshah earthquake suggest that targeted donations can improve the availability of blood units and reduce wastage during crises. Considering this, we decided to report on the IBTO’s decisions during the Kermanshah earthquake, which may help improve blood management by transfusion organizations during the ongoing crises. The O-negative blood type, comprising nearly 10 percent of the population, is crucial in emergencies due to its universal compatibility. During the 2018 Sarpol-e Zahab earthquake in Kermanshah, Iran, the IBTO optimized its blood-collecting program, emphasizing Rh-negative donations, given the sufficiency of other blood type reserves. This retrospective study evaluates the effectiveness of this strategy by analyzing donation patterns, particularly focusing on first-time O-negative donors. During the earthquake, total volunteer donations surged to 20,840 per day, a 2.4-fold increase compared to the 6-month daily mean. First-time O-negative donors showed a remarkable 31.7-fold increase, comprising nearly half of all registrations on the second day. This experience suggests that targeted interventions during disasters can enhance blood supply efficiency, reduce wastage and align donor types with emergency needs.