Government welcomes Jehovah’s Witnesses’ ‘change of heart’ on blood transfusions

The Department of Health has welcomed what it describes as a “change of heart” by Jehovah’s Witnesses on blood transfusions.

The religious denomination has for decades prohibited transfusions of whole blood and its four primary components based on their religious beliefs.

The denomination’s Governing Body announced on 18 September changes to its practices, which will now allow its members to personally decide whether to accept red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma or platelets from another person.

This is human blood in its original, unseparated state, collected directly from a donor.

A Witness undergoing surgery, suffering major blood loss, receiving cancer treatment or facing another medical emergency may now personally decide whether to accept red cells, white cells, platelets or plasma.

Members may also personally decide whether to donate blood for the purpose of providing components or fractions for use by others.

However, the long-standing prohibition on whole-blood transfusions remains unchanged.

The department says the previous position posed a major challenge to the healthcare system, particularly in emergency situations.

Health spokesperson, Foster Mohale, says the church’s stance was frustrating for doctors, who sometimes had to watch patients die despite potentially life-saving blood transfusions being available.

“Blood transfusion is a life-saving intervention that directly addresses life-threatening deficits in oxygen delivery and haemostasis (the stopping of bleeding), and enables complex medical procedures that would otherwise be unsafe.

“The prohibition of blood transfusion on religious grounds has been a thorn in the flesh of the healthcare system for many decades.”

The Health Department says the continued prohibition on whole-blood transfusions is unlikely to have a significant impact on the healthcare system.

“Whole blood is extremely unaffordable and, in many cases, not needed. There are very few circumstances under which whole blood needs to be transfused.”

The Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain that blood remains sacred, basing their position principally on biblical passages instructing Christians to “abstain from blood”.

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— National Department of Health (@HealthZA) October 2, 2026

The announcement has prompted a range of reactions on social media, with users sharing their views on the change in the church’s position.

Apparently Jehovah’s Witnesses are changing things about their blood doctrine (not allowed to take blood transfusions) Lmfao what about the ppl that already died denying transfusions?? The men can have beards, women can wear pants, now transfusion changes 😭 they must be getting-

— TYLER 🤘🏼 (@STELLARPUNK_ART) October 1, 2026

The extreme doctrine that determines life or death has been changed!

So many wonderful, beautiful people have died because of the Watchtower Society’s policies against blood transfusions.

Ten years ago, I wrote about a 27-year-old Canadian woman, Éloïse Dupuis, who had… pic.twitter.com/S9cSu6VFmV

— Steven Hassan, PhD (@CultExpert) September 27, 2026