Blood is the stuff of life. But while we might be familiar with the basic blood groups in Australia, new research suggests the prevalence of lesser-known blood types is rising. The discovery has led to calls for an increase in blood donations from people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, to ensure there's enough for those who need transfusions.
While donors of all backgrounds are welcome, Hirani said there was a particular need for blood from these groups of people: Joe Ratana, who is of Maori and Samoan descent, has a rare blood type found in just one in 100 people of Polynesian and Pacific Islander background. He donates blood every couple of weeks. "I didn't really fully understand what my blood type was and what they did with my blood until I actually asked the question one day," he said.