Around 13,719 citizens in the grand duchy are on the transfusion centre’s list of active donors, 10,000 of which donated their blood in 2021. Women make up 46.5% of blood donors and 51.4% of apheresis donors--where plasma and platelets are taken. Men, who can donate blood every three months instead of four, make up 53.5% of blood donors and 48.6% of platelet donors.

A selfless act, blood donation remains misunderstood by many. “Giving your blood could save someone’s life,” says Vincent Ruck, the organisation’s head of communication. But there are many prejudices around it, according to Anne Schuhmacher, medical director of the Red Cross blood transfusion centre: “Transfusions aren’t obsolete.” Instead, they are “an essential element of a health system.” The procedure is “important, and it needs to exist, there’s no other choice,” she says, as blood and platelets are always needed but cannot be manufactured.

A quick procedure with a lasting impact

The act of donating blood only takes 10 minutes. For apheresis--which can be done every month--donors sit through the procedure for half an hour. All in all, the visit takes around 45 minutes as some administrative steps take place prior to the donation. First-time donors, unlike those who’ve already visited the centre, have to meet up with a doctor first to make sure they can give their blood or platelets.

“We try to streamline the procedure as much as possible,” says Ruck, so as to encourage donors to visit.

Despite this, the Red Cross’ stocks continue to decrease ahead of the summer. Some donors are going on holiday, and as activities pick up again after pandemic restrictions were lifted, hospitals need more blood for accidents and surgeries.

Blood is usable for 42 days only, while platelets last 5-7 days. Plasma, when transformed, can be used for three years after the donation. As stocks are used quickly--Schuhmacher says that it’s rare for any products to go bad--a continuous donation cycle has to take place to keep the grand duchy’s hospitals from bleeding out.

Who can donate?

The Red Cross on World Blood Donor Day doesn’t just aim to thank those who have already given but uses the event as a chance to get in touch with new donors. “We’re looking for anyone who is willing to donate at the moment,” says Ruck, though some restrictions are in place.

Donors have to be between 18 and 70 years old and healthy in order to sign up. They also need to weigh more than 50kg and not carry any diseases transmitted through blood. Schuhmacher explains that, as some may not know they carry a disease, a few samples are taken during a donation, and tested. Should there be any issues, the donor is notified confidentially, Schuhmacher says.

Restrictions to protect all parties

Some additional restrictions exist, to protect both the donor and the recipient. Those who have received the covid-19 vaccine, for instance, have to wait a month to donate blood. Anyone who gave birth should wait six months, whereas those who suffered from the flu should wait as well. The donor’s health is as important as that of the recipient, explain Ruck and Schuhmacher.

In addition, those who had a tattoo in the four months prior to their meeting will have to wait a bit--to make sure they were not infected by a reused needle--as is the case for those who received an acupuncture treatment.

Since the start of 2021, donors don’t have to indicate their sexual orientation anymore, though they have to indicate if they have a new partner, or if they have had sex with a man who had sexual intercourse with another man in the twelve months prior to the donation.

The need for a variety of donors

With a varied multi-ethnic population, Luxembourg needs donors of every blood type. If there are more citizens with blood type A, the proportions of type A-donors has to match the demand, for instance.

But what the Red Cross currently struggles with is gaining the interest of younger populations. With an average donor age of 43.1 years and an ageing population, the organisation wants to attract a younger set of donors who will be able to participate in the effort.

The Red Cross therefore raises awareness in schools and social media, though, sometimes, by the time they’re old enough to donate, young adults will have forgotten about it. People in Luxembourg aged 18 to 30 only make up 19.9% of donors.

Luxembourg, a specific environment

Adding to the difficulty, the Red Cross has to proceed in a different way in Luxembourg than in larger countries. “We create a link to our donors in Luxembourg, by keeping in touch through e-mail,” says Ruck. “We are more about inspiring loyalty” compared to other countries, where vans show up to busy areas to take donations. “In Luxembourg, there is a yearly ceremony for frequent blood donors,” where they are rewarded for their act.

Ad-hoc donations in vans aren’t possible in a small country like Luxembourg. “Luxembourgers are attached to the donation centre, and prefer giving blood at the same place each time,” Schuhmacher adds.

To encourage donors to continue participating and to make the experience as comfortable as possible, the Red Cross also relies on feedback forms thanks to which it adapts and smooths out the donation procedure.

Each usable donation of about 500ml of blood can help three separate patients in need of a transfusion. And though Luxembourg for now is self-sufficient thanks to old and new donors, the increase in medical procedures after the pandemic means more volunteers are needed.

For more information or to become a donor, click .