Safe blood transfusion saves millions of lives each year. Blood cannot be synthesized artificially. Human beings are the sole source of this precious, life-saving product. It can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and enjoy a higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures. It likewise has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and child care, and also during man-made and natural disasters. But blood transfusions can also be a source of disease transmission. Blood screening helps maximize the safety of blood transfusion. The risk of infections transmitted through blood transfusion can be considerably reduced by promoting voluntary, non-remunerated blood donations. WHO’s goal is for all countries to obtain their blood supplies from voluntary and non-remunerated blood donors by 2020.
On 14 June every year countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Society of Blood Transfusion, the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations and various other partners and stakeholders. The event serves to thank voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and to raise
awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure adequate availability of blood and blood products for all patients in need.
The theme of this year’s campaign is “Blood connects us all”. It focuses on thanking blood donors, and highlights the dimension of sharing and the connection between blood donors and patients. In addition, we have adopted the slogan “share life, give blood” to draw attention to the
role that the voluntary donation system plays in encouraging people to care for one another and in promoting community cohesion.
Against an annual estimated requirement of 18 million blood units in the South-East Asia Region, around 15.9 million units are collected every year. Around 82% of donated blood is obtained from voluntary donors. 100% of collected blood is screened for transfusion-transmitted infections. In 2000, WHO developed a global strategy for safe blood to reduce the global burden of diseases due to unsafe transfusion. This strategy emphasizes the need for establishing nationally coordinated blood transfusion services.
There is a need to involve, educate and empower communities to regularly and voluntarily donate blood to meet national needs. WHO has been at the vanguard of the movement to improve global blood safety since 1975, as mandated by successive World Health Assembly resolutions. The Regional Office for South East Asia is working closely with member states to support them to escalate their blood transfusion services.
The Regional Office will continue to provide technical support to efforts in the region to augment the availability of safe blood. We are also committed to working closely with collaborating organizations to promote voluntary blood donations through the 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.