World Blood Donor Day

On 14 June, every year, the World Blood Donor Day is celebrated.

Background

World Blood Donor Day, celebrated annually on 14 June, is a worldwide celebration to honour and thank those people who donate their blood, voluntarily and unpaid, to give others the gift of life. It is celebrated on the day of birthday anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, who discovered the ABO blood group system. 

Theme for 2024

This years marks the 20th year of World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) after it was first organised in 2004, by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the partners of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations and the International Society of Blood Transfusion. 

Theme this year is ‘celebrating 20 years of giving: thank you blood donors!’ 

The objectives of the campaign:

• thank and recognize the millions of voluntary blood donors who have contributed to the health and well-being of millions of people around the world.
• showcase the achievements and challenges of national blood programmes and share best practices and lessons learned.
• highlight the continuous need for regular, unpaid blood donation to achieve universal access to safe blood transfusion.
• promote a culture of regular blood donation among young people and the general public and increase the diversity and sustainability of the blood donor pool.

Key messages

• Safe blood saves lives.
• Blood is needed by women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anaemia, often resulting from malaria or malnutrition, accident victims and surgical and cancer patients.
• Regular blood donation by a sufficient number of healthy people is needed to ensure that blood will always be available whenever and wherever it is needed.
• While the need for blood is universal, access to blood is not. Blood shortages are acute in low- and middle-income countries.
• Every single blood or plasma donation is a precious lifesaving gift; regular donation is the key to building a safe and sustainable supply.
• Wide participation of the population in regular blood and plasma donations ensure that everyone can access blood and plasma proteins when they need it.
• Ensuring the safety and well-being of blood and plasma donors is critical; it helps build commitment to regular donations.
• Thank you, blood donors. Your selfless donations have had a profound impact on the lives and well-being of hundreds of millions of people, as well as their families and communities across the world.

Source : World Health Organisation