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The Norwegian Centre for Blood Preparedness - Nokblod

Early balanced blood transfusion is recommended for treatment of patients with life-threatening bleeding. The Norwegian Centre for Blood Preparedness (Nokblod) coordinates the national blood preparedness in Norway. Nokblod is located in Helse Bergen.

A photo of an accident scene with several emergency services and people present

Photo: Ole-Sverre Haugli/The Norwegian Armed Forces

For information in Norwegian >>

Our mission:

  • Ensure adequate and sustainable supply of blood and blood products in times of crisis and war.
  • Establish a system that ensures civilian-military coordination of blood supply.  
  • Strengthen preparedness for major civil disasters and geographically isolated areas.

Nokblod has an civilian-miltary coordination function for blood preparedness in times of peace, crisis and war. Our work tasks include education and training, consultancy, innovation, research and development:

  • Education and training in blood preparedness systems including the use of emergency blood products like whole blood, cold stored platelets and dried plasma
  • Establish systems for emergency collection and transfusion of whole blood (Walking Blood Banks and emergency blood donor pools)
  • Coordinatinon of national and international requests for blood
  • Blood donor recruitment

Contact information

For requests to the Norwegian Centre for Blood Preparedness:

nokblod@helse-bergen.no

Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital

Torunn Oveland Apelseth

Director of the Norwegian Centre for Blood Preparedness

torunn.oveland.apelseth@helse-bergen.no
  • Senior Consultant at the Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital
  • Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen

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Sign up here: Subscription for Nokblod newsletter

Education and training

Here you will find information about training and courses operated by Nokblod. Nokblod holds training courses and workshops on blood preparedness and related topics for both civilian and military actors. Please contact us if you have any questions or wish to book a course!

Education, training, courses and instruction videos
A group of people in red uniforms

Dried plasma project

Helse Bergen has been awarded 15 million nok from Innovasjon Norge for a project that will develop technology for local production of dry plasma in blood banks. This gived Helse Bergen a unique opportunity to produce dried plasma that can be distributed to ambulances, air ambulances, local hospitals, the Norwegian Armed Forces, and municipal health services. 

Dried plasma
A person holding a bottle
Last updated 3/17/2025