Safe blood saves millions of lives each year. Provision of safe blood is a fundamental need for the health system of every country. Blood cannot be synthesized artificially. Human beings are the only source of this life-saving product. But unfortunately, a shortage of safe blood in developing countries often leads to unnecessary ill-health or death. Hence, there is an urgent need for more people to donate blood on a regular basis to save precious lives.
While blood is essential to save lives, it can also be a potential source of transmission of several diseases. These include, among others, HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The shortage of blood and the risk of often fatal infections can be considerably reduced by promoting voluntary, non-remunerated blood donations. All over the world it has been shown that regular, voluntary, non-remunerated donors from low-risk population groups are the safest sources of this precious, life-saving material. Against an annual estimated requirement of 18 million units of blood in the South-East Asia Region, only around 15.5 million units are collected every year, of which around 82% of donated blood is obtained from voluntary donors. There is a great variation between, as well as within, the countries.
Screening of donated blood for transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) is essential to make transfusion safe. In the South-East Asia Region, 100% of the blood collected is screened for TTIs. However, poor implementation of quality laboratory system, staff shortages, poor quality laboratory equipment and/or test kits, coupled with irregular supplies are the challenges that countries face.
World Health Assembly in 2005 designated 14 June as World Blood Donor Day, to be observed as an annual event. Since then, countries around the world use this day, among other things to galvanize communities to come forward voluntarily to donate blood. The event helps to raise awareness on the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary non-remunerated blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. The celebration of this day by several partners including WHO, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Society of Blood Transfusion, and the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations also aims to raise awareness globally about the need for regular and voluntary blood donation. The ultimate goal is that every country should achieve 100% voluntary and unpaid blood donation.
The slogan for this year’s campaign is “Safe blood for saving mothers”. Every day, about 800 women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications in the world. Almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries. More than half of them occur in sub-Saharan Africa and almost one third in South Asia. Severe bleeding during delivery and after childbirth is a major cause of mortality, morbidity and long-term disability. However, access to safe and sufficient blood and blood products and the rational and safe use of blood transfusion remains major challenge in many countries.
WHO is continuously providing technical support to global efforts in augmenting the availability of safe blood and is working closely with the collaborating organizations for promoting voluntary blood donations through active involvement of governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Together, we are striving towards the ultimate aim of assuring universal access to safe blood and blood products. While there has been a steady increase in voluntary blood donations in developing countries, several myths prevail among communities that prevent them from becoming regular blood donors. There is therefore a need to involve communities to regularly and voluntarily donate blood to meet the national need. This gift of life is the most precious gift one can give to a fellow citizen.
On World Blood Donor Day 2014, I express my gratitude to voluntary non-remunerated donors for their noble contribution and urge Member States to involve, educate, and empower communities to regularly and voluntarily donate blood to meet the national need.