Brazil updates blood donation rules and eligibility criteria

The Brazilian Ministry of Health has implemented new regulations for blood donation, aimed at increasing the donor pool and modernizing hemotherapy standards. These updates reduce waiting periods for various procedures and expand eligibility for several groups.

Key changes include allowing regular donors over the age of 70 to continue contributing, provided they remain healthy and pass medical evaluations. The waiting period for tattoos, piercings, and certain aesthetic procedures has been reduced from six months to four months, or as little as seven days if the procedure was performed in a certified sanitary environment.

Other updates include reducing the waiting time after bariatric surgery from 12 to six months, and shortening the period after endoscopies or colonoscopies from six to four months. For those who have recovered from cancer, the eligibility period is now five years after treatment ends, excluding certain hematological cancers. These measures are being adopted by various regional institutions, such as MT Hemocentro and Fundação Pró-Sangue, to streamline the donation process across the country.