NEW DELHI, Apr 17: Climate change and rising extreme temperatures are becoming major concerns for supplies of blood, endangering the lives of people with life threatening injuries and conditions, a recent study found.
Extreme weather events such as floods and bushfires fueled by rising global temperatures are disrupting medical professionals in their efforts to collect, test, and transport, according to the study published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
While the regular occurrence of such events is causing great difficulties for blood donors for travelling to certain locations, blood products have a short life span and are sensitive in nature and highly sensitive to temperature variations.
While the rising temperature is a major concern, diseases like dengue fever and malaria have high chances of transmission in areas which have high insect density and population.
Therefore blood banking systems should ensure that blood systems remain adaptable to the ongoing evaluation for available resources and emerging technologies.
High temperatures, extreme weather, cold temperatures and other climate issues could cause an indirect effect on blood chains, which could lead to pregnancy complications, kidney diseases, and trauma-related injuries.
(Subham)
