Blood Shortage Crisis: NZ Youth Donations Plummet 25% Post-Covid

New Zealand Faces Blood Shortage as Young People's Donations Plummet New Zealand is facing a critical shortage of blood and plasma donations, particularly among young people. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, donations from the 16-25 age group have dropped by a staggering 25%, raising serious concerns about the country's ability to meet future demand. The New Zealand Blood Service attributes this decline to pandemic restrictions that prevented them from visiting schools and universities, their traditional recruiting grounds. "We lost the ability to recruit youngsters during the pandemic years," explained a spokesperson in a recent interview. "More restrictive rules since Covid have also decreased our visibility with Generation Z." Matt Hoyle, a recipient of blood donations, shared his heartfelt plea for young people to consider donating. "It's a completely selfless thing to do," he stated, emphasizing the life-saving impact of even a single donation. "It's something I cannot give enough thanks for." The Blood Service is actively working to address this issue and encourage more young people to become regular donors. The service hopes to regain access to schools and universities to increase awareness and recruitment efforts.