Blood cannot be manufactured in a laboratory, nor can it be imported on demand. Walk into any hospital across Lao PDR over the coming weeks, and you will witness a quiet, urgent battle against a predictable foe. As the rainy season begins, health officials brace for a sharp surge in dengue cases. This predictable annual cycle invariably widens a dangerous gap: the chasm between the skyrocketing demand for blood and the available supply. In the halls of our healthcare facilities, this gap is