Are you a traveler with a rare blood type?

Let’s say your blood type is O negative. The universal donor. You can give blood to everyone else, but can only receive blood from others who are O negative. In your own country there might be 6-7% O negative, so it shouldn’t be an issue finding a donor in an emergency situation.

But what about in other countries around the world?

If you are traveling in South-East Asia for example, most countries have an O negative frequency of around 1 in 1,000 people. There have been several cases in the past few years where travelers had accidents in countries like Thailand and it took a BBC article to finally find a compatible donor.

You may also have issues finding a blood donor in some African countries and if you are somewhere on a smaller island with a low population to begin with, it can be a matter of life and death to be connected with someone who can donate to you should you ever be in an emergency situations.

A sad example is a young girl who died because the donor didn’t arrive fast enough: Chinese Black Market pays $2,900 for Rh- Blood. And sometimes in regions with low rh negative frequencies, hospitals are not even prepared to have someone with a rare blood type and wind up giving the wrong type hoping it will be ok when it can also turn out fatal. I hate to say it, but it has to be your own responsibility to prepare for such an event.

So how can you be prepared?

Here are a few sources which can help you should you ever wind up needing someone who also has a rare blood type who can donate blood to you:

Rhesus Negatives Worldwide on WhatsApp

Several of the admins are from countries like Singapore, South Korea, Philippines and Indonesia and connected all over with people running organizations in nations low in rh negative blood to ensure that people who are in an emergency situation will be connected with a donor nearby. Remember the group and you should be taken care of should anything ever happen.

RHESUS NEGATIVE FRIENDS AND ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE

A list of some of the networks worldwide dedicated to helping others with rare blood types in countries where they themselves have experienced how hard it is to come by a donor when you are rh- and especially O-

Blood Network

This Facebook driven application connects blood donors worldwide. If some of the areas are not covered, refer to the first option on this list.

Here is a list of blood type frequencies by country:

Blood Type Frequencies by Country including the Rh Factor

Be prepared! Contact those who can help you where you’re going beforehand. They know the risks and many of them had been in difficult situations to where they understand what it takes to help someone who is experiencing an immediate need for compatible blood.