Blood Health Gains Visibility on the EU Policy Agenda

At The Time is Now: Making Blood Health a Policy Priority forum organized by the Blood & Beyond initiative, stakeholders representing patients, providers and policymakers discussed the burden of blood conditions, including chronic disease anemia, maternal anemia and blood loss, and the benefits of prioritizing blood health. They also highlighted that improved blood health leads to enhanced patient safety, as well as reduced mortality, complications, hospitalizations, healthcare costs and blood transfusion demand. The meeting comes weeks after the WHO released new guidance on Patient Blood Management which provides health systems practical approaches to advancing blood health.

At the Brussels forum, Blood and Beyond released its Five-Point Plan for Better Blood Health in Europe. The plan calls on policymakers to support implementation of the WHO guidance by developing national strategies and incorporating PBM implementation as a quality-of-care indicator for health systems performance assessment.

In 2024, the Global Alliance for Patient Access put the spotlight on the need for health systems to prioritize blood management when it released an FAQ resource entitled: “Fast Facts: Chronic Disease, Anemia, and Blood Health.” GAfPA noted that with the new WHO guidance, an opportunity exists to address the burden of anemia by prioritizing blood health and through Patient Blood Management. Through the adoption of PBM, it is possible to improve clinical outcomes and elevate the quality of life for people living with chronic conditions.

To learn more, read: “Understanding Blood Health.”