Every year on June 14th, World Blood Donor Day is commemorated. Donating blood is not just for the sole purpose of transfusion, it has many other benefits for the health industry.
The purpose of the Day was to:
• support national blood transfusion services, blood donor organisations, and other nongovernmental organisations in strengthening and expanding their voluntary blood donor programmes by reinforcing national and local campaigns.
• raise global awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion
• highlight the critical contribution voluntary, unpaid blood donors make to national health systems
The day also serves as a call to action for governments and national health authorities to allocate sufficient resources to increase the collection of blood from unpaid volunteers and to manage access to blood and transfusions for those who require it.
Universal need for blood
Patients with blood and bone marrow disorders, inherited haemoglobin disorders, and immune deficiency conditions; victims of trauma, emergencies, disasters, and accidents; and patients undergoing advanced medical and surgical procedures all require blood and blood products. Although there is a universal need for blood, not everyone has access to it. In low- and middle-income countries, blood shortages are particularly severe.
All governments require frequent, unpaid blood donors to ensure that everyone who requires a transfusion has access to safe blood. When there is a surge in demand for blood or when the normal operation of blood services is disrupted, an effective blood donor programme with widespread and active participation of the population is critical in meeting the need for blood transfusions during peacetime as well as during emergencies or disasters.
While an appropriate social and cultural environment with strong solidarity supports the creation of an efficient blood donor programme, it is commonly accepted that blood donation contributes to the formation of social relationships and the formation of a united community
Theme of this year’s world blood donor day
The theme for 2022 World Blood Donor Day is “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives”, draw attention to the roles that voluntary blood donations play in saving lives and enhancing solidarity within communities.
The specific objectives of this year’s campaign are to:
1. Recognise and promote the value of voluntary unpaid blood donation in enhancing community solidarity and social cohesion.
2. Highlight the need for committed, year-round blood donation to maintain adequate supplies and achieve universal and timely access to safe blood transfusion.
3. Raise awareness of the need for increased government investment in blood donation.
4. Thank blood donors around the world and raise public awareness of the need for regular, unpaid blood donation.
For this year’s campaign, countries around the world are encouraged to distribute stories of people whose lives have been saved through blood donation to various media outlets as a way of motivating regular blood donors to continue giving blood, as well as motivating people in good health who have never given blood to do so.
