What is World Blood Donor Day: Date, Theme, Importance

Introduction

World Blood Donor Day is an annual event that honours and appreciates unpaid blood donors for their life-saving contributions. It also increases awareness about the importance of safe blood and blood products and encourages more people to become regular donors.

Date

Every year on June 14, World Blood Donor Day is observed. The date was chosen to commemorate Karl Landsteiner's birthday, the Nobel Prize laureate who established the ABO blood type system.

Theme

World Blood Donor Day 2023's theme is "Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often." It focuses on patients who require life-long transfusion support and emphasises the important role that everyone can play by donating blood or plasma. It also emphasises the necessity of donating blood or plasma on a regular basis in order to provide a safe and sustainable supply of blood and blood products that is always available all over the world, allowing all patients in need to receive timely treatment.

Importance

Blood is a key resource for health care and one of the most valuable gifts somebody can give to another. A blood service that provides patients with adequate access to safe blood and blood products is an essential component of a functional health system.

However, many countries confront difficulties in providing enough blood while still maintaining its quality and safety. Every year, around 118 million blood donations are collected worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). More than half of these are gathered in high-income countries, which account for 19% of the global population. In low- and middle-income nations, this creates large inequalities in the availability and quality of blood and blood products.

The inability to obtain safe blood and blood products has an impact on all patients, especially those who require regular transfusions. People suffering from thalassemia, sickle cell disease, haemophilia, or cancer are some instances. These patients' survival and quality of life are dependent on the availability of safe blood and plasma-derived products.

One of WHO's strategies is to help low- and middle-income countries improve the availability and quality of human plasma, which includes maximising the use of plasma recovered from whole blood donations and boosting patients' access to life-saving plasma protein therapies.

How to Take Part

There are numerous ways to celebrate World Blood Donor Day and demonstrate your support for volunteer blood donation. Here are several examples:

If you are qualified and in good health, you can donate blood or plasma.

Encourage your family, friends, and coworkers to donate blood or plasma on a regular basis.

Use the hashtag #WorldBloodDonorDay to share your donation story on social media.

Participate in or organise events or activities in your community to honour and thank blood donors.

Learn more about blood donation and transfusion from reputable sources such as the World Health Organisation or your local blood service.

Giving blood or plasma allows you to share life and share it frequently with someone in need. You may also assist to ensure that all populations have access to safe blood products. Donating blood is an act of unity, remember. Participate in the struggle to save lives!