Climate disasters are disrupting blood supplies and increasing demand at the same time
Climate-fueled extreme weather is reducing blood donations and complicating transfusions just as more people are injured or displaced by storms, fires and floods.
Rebecca Dzombak reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- A new global analysis published in The Lancet Planetary Health finds that climate change is affecting every part of the blood supply system, from donor turnout to delivery logistics and transfusion safety.
- Events such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods are delaying or canceling blood drives, especially in the U.S., where extreme weather led to nearly a full year’s worth of cancellations in the first two months of 2025.
- As the climate warms, more people are exposed to blood-transmissible diseases like dengue and Zika, which can shrink the donor pool and increase the need for transfusions during emergencies.
Key quote:
“Any major disruptions to the availability and safety of the blood supply puts lives at risk.”
— Elvina Viennet, infectious disease researcher at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
Why this matters:
Blood banks rely on steady donor turnout, reliable transportation, and safe clinical conditions to keep hospitals stocked. Climate change is pushing every part of that system to the edge. Wildfires, floods, and storms can block roads, shut down clinics, or send local trauma cases soaring overnight. Cancer patients, pregnant women, and those with chronic illnesses are especially vulnerable if blood supplies dwindle. At the same time, warming temperatures are helping mosquito-borne viruses spread into new areas, rendering more people ineligible to donate while increasing the demand for transfusions. Without better forecasting, planning, and data sharing between climate and health systems, hospitals may soon face deadly mismatches between blood supply and demand.
Related: HHS' Rachel Levine on climate change, health and blood donations
