The global leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses has announced that members are no longer prohibited from accepting most blood transfusions, reversing a long-standing doctrinal position that had governed medical decisions for millions of believers worldwide. The ban on whole-blood transfusions remains in place, but since the vast majority of modern transfusions involve only specific blood components — such as red blood cells, plasma, or platelets — the change effectively allows members to consent to routine transfusions as a matter of personal conscience. The decision follows an internal reinterpretation of Acts 15:20, the biblical passage on which the prohibition was based, with church leadership concluding that scripture does not explicitly address individual blood components; medical professionals have welcomed the move, saying it will make procedures such as heart surgery and caesarean sections significantly safer for Witness patients.