By: Uma Rishi and Georgia Isaac
One of the nation’s leading blood services has joined forces with international health organisations in the hope of educating people about the importance of donating blood.
The Australian Red Cross Blood Service has today launched the Missing Type campaign in conjunction with 25 blood services from 21 countries.
Part of the campaign will see the letters of the main blood groups, A, O and B, dropped from iconic Australian brand advertisements including Qantas, NAB and Coles.
The campaign follows a fall in the number of blood donations which can partly be put down to a rise in the number of people getting tattoos.
The Australian Red Cross says there has been almost a 30 per cent drop in the number of people becoming blood donors compared to a decade ago.
RMIT University student Abbey Lew-Kee, who has a total of seven tattoos, got her first tattoo when she was 18-years- old.
Since then, she has returned to the tattoo parlour every four to six months and says it has affected her ability to donate blood, considering you can only donate blood six months after getting a tattoo.
“Maybe I should have donated blood before I got my tattoos and then I could have got the best of both worlds,” she said.
“It was a bit of a mistake. I think a lot of people if they did know they wanted to get a tattoo they might give something before you get something. So you can still have your tattoo but you get to do something good before.”
Blood Service Chief Executive Shelly Park says blood transfusions play a significant role in saving lives and transforming health for millions worldwide.
“Whether it is patients receiving treatment for cancer, blood disorders, after accidents or during surgery, or new mums who lost blood in childbirth, blood is an absolutely essential part of modern healthcare,” she said.
Other major factors contributing to the fall in blood donors include increasing exotic travel, busier schedules and a lack of awareness on the issue.
