Challenges and Strategies in Managing the Blood Supply Chain in Belgium: A Critical Assessment of Risks and Proposal of Solutions

Abstract

Ensuring the availability, safety, and timely delivery of blood products is a public health imperative. In Belgium, the blood supply chain operates under increasing pressure due to demographic shifts, growing regulatory complexity, digital transitions, and economic constraints. These pressures challenge the resilience of a system that remains vital to hospital care and emergency response.

This thesis aims to critically assess the main risks threatening the Belgian blood supply chain and to identify actionable strategies for mitigating them. Combining a structured literature review with empirical fieldwork, the research draws on semi-structured interviews and risk-ranking questionnaires conducted with two pivotal actors: a regional blood collection center and a hospital blood bank.

The findings reveal a set of interrelated major vulnerabilities, including potential cybersecurity breaches, shortages linked to supply chain disruptions, the lack of consolidated visibility of hospital inventories, as well as human errors and administrative overload. These key risks were analyzed using qualitative risk matrices tailored to each institutional actor, enabling a nuanced understanding of their criticality and systemic impact.

To address these issues, the study formulates a dual-layered set of recommendations. First, several solutions emerge directly from field insights: securing donor engagement, building buffer stocks, strengthening operational redundancies, and reducing human error through training and protocol reinforcement. Second, complementary strategies are drawn from sectors facing similar challenges, such as defense and retail. These include predictive modeling for inventory flows, algorithm-based redistribution systems, Zero Trust cybersecurity frameworks, and RFID-based automation of administrative processes.

Rather than offering a prescriptive solution, this thesis advocates a systemic and anticipatory approach to transfusion governance, viewing the blood supply chain as an interdependent network rather than a linear chain. By doing so, it contributes to both academic knowledge and practical reflection, offering a foundation for future innovation in policy, operations, and coordination across the healthcare ecosystem.