There has been an unprecedented 18% drop in the number of New Zealanders volunteering as new blood donors - 3700 fewer in the 12 months to May 2010 compared with a year earlier. Worst affected are Auckland North Shore and Hawkes Bay. “We have not seen a drop in new donors like this before. It is a worrying statistic that we want to reverse now, so it doesn’t become a trend,” says New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) Marketing Manager Paul Hayes. World Blood Donor Day is 14 June, and NZBS is asking people to check if they are eligible to donate and, if they are, to make an appointment to become a donor. This year, more than 42,000 people will need blood or blood products for medical treatment that may help save their life. To meet the demands of the country’s health services, the NZBS must collect approximately 3000 donations every week (0800 GIVE BLOOD or text ‘NEW’ to 515 for information). Mr Hayes says there are currently around 90,000 active blood donors – those who have donated in the last year – representing just over 3% of those of an eligible age to become a donor. “We chose the theme New Blood for Life for World Blood Donor Day this year because we need the younger generation [the 18-30s, Gen Y or the ‘Millennials’], the ‘new blood’ so to speak, to start donating now, and to donate regularly throughout their life,” says Mr Hayes. Every donation can help save up to three lives.