By: Estelle Yau (9/6/21)
Every year on June 14th, we celebrate World Blood Donor Day. It is an opportunity to raise global awareness of the importance of donating blood and to thank all the voluntary and unpaid blood donors for their contribution who have saved many lives.
Blood donation is a very important part of healthcare. Blood transfusion saves millions of lives every year.
Doctors around the world use blood supplies for various conditions: blood or bone marrow disease, cancer, anemia, heart, kidney, and stomach disease, traumatic injuries in emergencies, disasters and accidents, etc.
Regular blood donations are needed all around the world to ensure safe, timely, and quality-assured blood supplies. With the ongoing pandemic, despite limited mobility and other challenges, the need for donations of blood and blood products is still constant and ongoing. Healthy individuals can still donate and the highest standards of safety and infection control are followed.
The theme of the global public health campaign this year is “Give blood and keep the world beating”. It emphasizes the major contribution of blood donors who keep the world pulsating by saving lives and improving people’s health.
A highlight of this year’s campaign will be the young people who play a driving role in ensuring a safe blood supply thanks to their idealism, enthusiasm and creativity.
In many countries, they are organizing activities and initiatives to encourage blood donation and to raise awareness. As part of this year’s campaign, the objectives are to:
- Thank blood donors worldwide and raise public awareness of the need for regular, unpaid blood donations.
- Promote the values of blood donation in enhancing community solidarity and social cohesion.
- Encourage young people to embrace the humanitarian call to donate blood and motivate others to do the same.
- Celebrate the potential of youth as partners in promoting health.
Italy and its National Blood Centre in Rome are the hosts for World Blood Donor Day 2021.
Did you know?
- 1 blood donation could save up to 3 lives.
- About 1 in 7 patients entering a hospital will need blood
- About every 2 seconds someone needs blood
- Blood from 1 donation can be divided into 2 components: red blood cells and plasma.
- The average adult has about 10 pints (about 5 liters) of blood, but a typical whole-blood donation is only 1 pint.
- O-negative blood is considered a ‘universal’ blood type because it can be given to people of all blood types.
- Blood centers often run short of types O and B red blood cells.
- Red blood cells have a short shelf life. They only last for 6 weeks (42 days), which is why donating regularly is so important
- There is no substitute for human blood because blood cannot be manufactured — it can only come from generous donors
- Donating whole blood takes only about 10–15 minutes.
- A healthy donor can donate whole blood every 56 days
- If you began donating blood at age 18 and donated every 90 days until you reached 60, you would have donated at least 112 liters of blood, potentially helping save more than 500 lives!
References
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2021/06/14/default-calendar/world-blood-donor-day-2021
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-blood-donor-day
Chandler, T., Neumann-Böhme, S., Sabat, I., Barros, P.P., Brouwer, W., van Exel, J., Schreyögg, J., Torbica, A. and Stargardt, T. (2021), Blood donation in times of crisis: Early insight into the impact of COVID-19 on blood donors and their motivation to donate across European countries. Vox Sang. https://doi.org/10.1111/vox.13103
https://stanfordbloodcenter.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-facts/
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/programs/blood-donor-services/about-donation.html
