World Blood Donors DayWorld Blood Donors Day (WBDD) was observed on 14 June 2017.
The theme of the 2017 World Blood Donor Day is Give Blood. Give Now. Give Often.
This year’s campaign focuses on blood donation in emergencies.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) via the theme is emphasizing on the role that every individual can play in preparing for the next unforeseen emergency by giving blood now.
Of the 112.5 million blood donations collected globally, approximately half of these are collected in high-income countries.
In low-income countries, up to 65% of blood transfusions are given to children under 5 years of age; whereas in high-income countries, the most frequently transfused patient group is over 65 years of age.
67 countries report collecting fewer than 10 donations per 1000 people.
Of these, 38 countries are in the WHO African Region, 5 in the WHO Region of the Americas, 6 in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, 5 in the WHO European Region, 6 in the WHO South-Eastern Asia Region, and 8 in the WHO Western Pacific Region.
126 countries have national guidelines on the appropriate clinical use of blood. 57 countries collect 100 per cent of their blood supply from voluntary, unpaid blood donors.
Blood donation by 1 per cent of the population can meet a nation’s most basic requirements for blood.
WBDD: Know More- The World Blood Donors Day was established in 2004 to raise awareness of the need for safe bold and blood products, and to thank donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood.
- It is one of the eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO) along with World Tuberculosis Day (24 March), World Health Day (7 April), World Immunization Week (last week of April), World Malaria Day (25 April).
- Others include World No Tobacco Day (31 May), World Hepatitis Day (28 July), and World AIDS Day (1 December).
