14th June of every year is celebrated as the World Blood Donor Day all over the world to create awareness about the need for safe blood and their importance in treatments and role in maternal and neonatal care. It was designated by the World Health Assembly(WHA) of the World Health Organisation(WHO).
The theme of World blood donor day 2020 is “Safe Blood saves lives” to thank the blood donors and raise awareness on the benefits of regular blood donations and ensure the access of affordable and timely safe and quality blood.
Slogan of the campaign is “Give blood and make the world a healthier place”.
Note: The events of 2020 will be a virtual campaign due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Background:
i.June 14 is chosen to commemorate the birth anniversary of Karl Ladsteiner who got the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1930 for the discovery of the ABO blood group system. He was born on 14th June 1868.
ii.This day was 1st observed in the year 2005 as a joint initiative of WHO & International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC).
Objectives:
- To celebrate and thank the blood donors and encourage more people to donate.
- To educate its role in health care and its role in achieving universal health coverage.
- To provide support in national, regional and global levels and maintain national blood programmes.
- To create awareness on the need for blood donation and safe blood transfusion to meet the timely demands.
Need for safe blood: To ensure the access of safe blood and blood products in normal and emergency situations like natural disasters, accidents, armed conflicts etc. and to help the patients in critical situations who are in need of complicated medical and surgical procedures.
Blood donation: During the Blood Donation, around 350-450 ml of blood is withdrawn from the Donor & the new blood volume will be automatically replaced within 24-48 hours & the red blood cells(RBC) will be replaced in 4-6 weeks of donation.
About WHO:
World Health Assembly is the decision making body of the WHO which determines the policies of the organisation and appoints the Director General.
Director General– Dr.Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
