Maria Rosales told Lusa news agency that since the pandemic, stocks and reserves have declined annually. She noted that these declines have posed ongoing challenges for the institute.

Rosales elaborated on the situation, saying, “Fortunately, with red blood cells, we haven’t reached that point [of having to rely on reserves from the Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation]. In that regard, we’re becoming self-sufficient. But in terms of platelets, which have a very short shelf life, we have to manage them on a daily basis, and sometimes, yes, we have to turn to the institute to fill this gap at specific times.”

In 2025, 2,427 patients received transfusions at the IPO in Porto, totalling 7,294 red blood cell transfusions and 4,834 platelet transfusions.

Further highlighting the institute’s activity, according to data sent to Lusa by this cancer hospital, last year the IPO in Porto recorded a total of 8,603 blood donations.


New donors

During that period, 1,385 new donors were also registered, of whom 690 made their first actual donation at the institution. These new donors represent an important step toward reversing the downward trend.

Regarding age distribution, 949 of the registered donors were aged 18-24.

“This group is a strategic priority for the IPO in Porto, given its location within a university hub and the importance of encouraging early participation in blood donation, as well as fostering loyalty among these young donors,” according to information sent to Lusa.

Reinforcing this message, the director of the Immuno-hemotherapy Service at the IPO in Porto explained that a campaign, developed in partnership with the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), will be launched today to increase and retain the number of blood donors aged 18 to 40.

Recruit young donors

“Our goal is to recruit healthy young donors. The age limit for donating blood has been extended to 70, provided the person remains in good health, but we consider it important to focus on young people because they are the donors of the future,” said Maria Rosales.

She explained that the campaign’s slogan—“You’re the kind of person”—aims to establish a symbolic link between blood donation and dating apps, underscoring that donating blood is also an act of love and altruism.

“We will also try to dispel myths and taboos and the idea that donating blood is a long and painful process, which is not true,” she added.

New campaign

The campaign kicks off on 27 March and will run for a year, featuring a range of initiatives.

Plans include releasing explanatory content about the process, as well as the “Truth or Consequences” game, designed as an educational tool to ensure access to accurate, scientifically validated medical information.

One of the main concerns identified among young people by UTAD students relates to a fear of needles.

To overcome this barrier, the campaign includes tips for the moment of the blood draw, such as drinking enough water and providing a Spotify playlist lasting about 10 minutes—the average time of the procedure—to help those who are anxious relax.