Challenges and Research in Managing Blood Supply in China

- Current annual blood donations in China have not kept pace with growing demand.
- Blood donor motivation is based on a system that is not entirely altruistic or entirely incentive based.
- Financial reimbursement systems for blood centers in China have not kept pace with the cost of technical advancements.
- A nationwide hemovigilance system in China has yet to be established.

Although considerable progress has been made in improving the blood service system in China over the last 2 decades, many challenges remain. A number of issues have received public attentions; however, others continue to be underacknowledged and controversial. This article describes 3 of these important and less emphasized issues: first, the ambiguity of the definition of voluntary nonremunerated blood donation and its relationship to an adequate blood supply; second, the current inadequacies of cost recovery from the blood service system; and third, the lack of a universally implemented program of hemovigilance. Currently, there is controversy regarding these challenges. Open recognition and discussion offers the prospect of bringing solutions closer to reality.