Every year the world comes
together on June 14 to celebrate World Blood Donor Day. This year the World
Health Organization is celebrating the 10th anniversary of World Blood Donor
Day with a slogan for this year "Give
the gift of life: donate blood". World Health Organizations aims to
achieve 100% supply of blood in all countries from voluntary unpaid donors
(Melbourne Declaration). The declaration recognized the need for a sustainable
blood supply by increasing the number of voluntary donors who donate regularly.
It also thanked the donors and recognized the importance of protecting them. It
also recognized the fact that achieving the Millennium Development Goals of
reducing child mortality, improving maternal health and combating HIV/AIDS,
malaria and other diseases is dependent on safe transfusion and sustainable
blood supply. The reasons for the demand for blood differ in low income
countries and high income countries. Blood is required to treat anemia in
children under 5, and to manage pregnancy related complications in the lower
income countries especially the African nations where as in developed nations
blood is required in cardiovascular and transplant surgery, cancer treatment
etc. In many countries, there is not an adequate supply of safe blood, and
blood services face the challenge of making sufficient blood available, while
also ensuring its quality and safety.
Every year around 107 million
units of blood are collected from donors globally. The optimistic aspect about
the collections is that as much 50% of the blood donations come from countries
with high income group which is home to only 15% of the world's population.
Imagine a day where blood donations are collected from 50% of the world
population. So many lives can be saved and the Melbourne declaration can be
achieved easily. Today 73 countries around the world have to collect more than
50% of their blood supply from family/replacement or paid donors. We accept the
fact that blood donation varies from income group, still WHO is striving hard
in association with countries to encourage voluntary blood donations. However,
only 62% of the countries have specific legislation covering the safety and
quality of blood transfusion.
France the host nation for this
year is supporting this cause since the 1950s and is self sufficient in
voluntary blood supply. However, Sri Lanka which will host the World blood
donor day 2014 has remarkable achieved the feet within just 10 years. The
percentage of voluntary blood donations has grown from 39% to 97% since 2003.
Sri Lankans say that because most of them are Buddhists that's why blood
donation is religiously and culturally accepted and very much a valued concept.
The approaches that Sri Lanka has taken towards this initiative are that they
encourage blood donations on full moon day in schools, temples, universities.
Other innovations include facebook page, free CPR training and card system
(silver/gold/platinum).
The blood donation performance inIndia is comparatively poor with only 10-20 persons donating blood among 1000
persons. We as Indians need to think about the blood requirements and try and
save every life which is at risk due to non-availability of blood to transfuse.
It's very obnoxious that many die in India because we don't even have 10% of
the population donating blood which can save millions of lives. That's why
today we ask you some straight forward questions, when is the last time you
donated blood? Or when is the last time someone you know donated blood?
Help save lives, encourage
everyone along with yourself to donate blood.
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