Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day. This year’s campaign focuses on patients requiring life-long support with blood transfusion or plasma proteins. The campaign highlights the role that every single person can play, by giving the valuable gift of blood or plasma regularly to ensure a safe and sustainable supply of blood and blood products for all those in need.
Access to a secure blood supply based on voluntary unpaid donation is vital for all patients, including many requiring life-long and regular transfusions for conditions such as sickle-cell anaemia and thalassaemia. In some countries of our Region, more than half of the blood donations are used for thalassemia patients. Voluntary unpaid plasma donations also play an important part in supporting patients with a wide range of long-term conditions, such as haemophilia and immune deficiencies.
However, in many countries of the Region, blood services face the challenge of making sufficient blood available, while also ensuring quality and safety. Lack of access to safe blood and blood products impacts all patients, including those requiring regular transfusion. There is also a need to increase plasma donations to make sufficient life-saving plasma protein products available for patients.
In line with our Strategic framework for blood safety and availability (2016–2025), and regional vision of Health for All by All, I call on all countries to improve access to blood and plasma proteins as part of universal health coverage. Countries need to: provide adequate resources and put in place systems and infrastructure to increase the collection of blood and plasma from voluntary, regular, unpaid blood donors; provide quality donor care; promote and implement appropriate clinical use of blood; and set up systems for oversight and surveillance across the blood and plasma supply and clinical use chain.
Every single blood or plasma donation is a precious lifesaving gift, and regular voluntary unpaid donation is key to building a safe and sustainable supply of blood and plasma, as an integral part of health care delivery.
WHO is calling on all countries in the Region to celebrate this important day and use it as an opportunity to advocate for voluntary blood and plasma donations and to encourage everyone, especially young people who have not yet donated blood or plasma, to start donating. Meanwhile, I would like to extend my thanks to all individuals who donate blood and plasma , and contribute to making access to safe blood and plasma proteins a reality..
So please “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often.”