Increase voluntary blood donation

• May 4, 2024

The number of countries in the world that obtain all the blood supply from voluntary unpaid donors increased more than 50% between 2002 and 2008, according to new data released by the World Health Organization on the occasion of the World Blood Donor Day , this June 14, 2011.

World Blood Donor Day is celebrated every year to highlight the contribution of the voluntary donors unpaid to public health. This year's theme, "More Blood, More Life," aims to encourage more people to donate blood and save more lives.

"The objective set by the WHO is that by 2020 all countries obtain their blood supply from unpaid voluntary donation," the doctor reports. Neelam Dhingra , Coordinator of Safety of Blood Transfusions in WHO.

"Nine years ago, 39 countries got all the blood supply from unpaid voluntary donors, in 2008, that number had increased to 62. We hope that World Blood Donor Day will encourage more people in more countries to become donors volunteers of blood regularly ".

Between 2007 and 2008, unpaid voluntary blood donation increased more than 10% in 70 countries. India reported the largest increase, since it went from 3.6 million to 4.6 million. During the same period, the following countries reported significant increases: Afghanistan, Algeria, Argentina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the Philippines, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam .

The WHO data reveal new information about the sex and age of the donors. In the hundred countries that provide this information, 70% of donations come from men. Just 25 countries get more than 40% of donations of women, namely: Australia, Azerbaijan, United States of America, Estonia, Georgia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Swaziland, Thailand and Zimbabwe. And in 16 countries, less than 10% of donations come from women.

In richer countries, donors tend to be mature (over 44 years old), while in low and middle income countries they are young (less than 25 years old). 67 countries offered data on blood donation by age groups. In high-income countries, only 27% of donations come from the under-25 group, while 47% correspond to people over 44 years of age. In low and middle income countries, almost half (45%) of donations are provided by people under 25 years of age, and 18% by people over 44 years of age.

"An obvious explanation that in the low income countries beech more young donors is that the population tends to be younger, "says Dr. Dhingra." Strategies to encourage more people to donate blood should take into account factors like this. "

A week of events to celebrate the voluntary donation of blood

This June 14 starts a whole week of events of great relief to celebrate the voluntary donation of blood. This year, the city of Buenos Aires is the host International Day of the Blood Donor and will celebrate it with special football matches , a national marathon and the culmination of the Domino Project, which lasted several months and aims to raise awareness and promote the donation of blood in all provinces of Argentina, one after another.

In Geneva, where the World Health Organization is headquartered, the community is bringing together schoolchildren and other volunteers who, dressed in blood, are trained to form a giant drop of human blood . This activity will take place at 10:00 a.m. at the Plaza de las Naciones. The celebrations also include illuminating in red the huge fountain of the lake, one of the most prominent symbols of the city.

The WHO calculates that Donation would suffice of 1% of the inhabitants to satisfy in general the basic needs of blood sure of a country. The needs are higher in countries whose health system is more developed. Among the most urgent needs are the replacement of the blood that is lost during the delivery (an important cause of maternal death worldwide) and the treatment of severe anemia that endangers the lives of thousands of children suffering from malaria or undernourished.

Video Medicine: Voluntary Blood donation: Govt, private sector urged to increase awareness (May 2024).