Today marks World Blood Donor Day! The theme of this year’s campaign is "Thank you for saving my life". It focuses on thanking blood donors who save lives every day through their blood donations and strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly with the slogan “Give freely, give often. Blood donation matters.”
Many patients requiring transfusion still do not have timely access to safe blood. As an illustration, about 800 women around the world die from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications in every single day. Severe bleeding during delivery or after childbirth is the most common cause of maternal mortality and contributes to around 31% in Asia. Voluntary unpaid blood donors can only ensure an adequate supply through regular donations. Up to now, many countries are still dependent on family donors and even paid donors.
Today, the WHO supported the Philippine Blood Center in the staging of the 2015 World Blood Donor Day celebration on 13 June 2014 at the Fisher Mall in Quezon City. A total of 312 donors participated in the blood-letting activity. Participating schools include ICCT Colleges, DLSU-College of Saint Benilde, EARIST and TUP.
Speaking at the event Dr Julie Lyn Hall, WHO country representative in the Philippines thanked all the participants and urged the youth to continue to save lives through blood donations. “Be a hero to others today! Each time you give blood, you may save up to three lives. To all donors, thank you for saving lives!”