World Blood Donor Day, an initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) is celebrated every year on 14 June. This day is celebrated every year to spread awareness about the significance of blood donation and to recognize the contribution of voluntary unpaid blood donors in saving lives.
The first World Blood Donor Day was observed by WHO in 2004. Whereas it was declared as an annual global event in the 58th World Health Assembly in 2005.
The day is celebrated on the birthday of an Austrian biologist and physician, Karl Landsteiner. He is considered to be the founder of modern blood transfusion.
World Blood Donor Day takes place on 14 June each year. The aim is to raise global awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion and of the critical contribution voluntary, unpaid blood donors make to national health systems. The day also provides an opportunity to call to action to governments and national health authorities to provide adequate resources and put into place systems and infrastructures to increase the collection of blood from voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors.
Safe blood and blood products and their transfusion are a critical aspect of care and public health. They save millions of lives and improve the health and quality of life of many patients every day. The need for blood is universal, but access to blood for all those who need it is not. Blood shortages are particularly acute in developing countries.
Focus of this year’s campaign
For 2021, the World Blood Donor Day slogan will be “Give blood and keep the world beating”. The message highlights the essential contribution blood donors make to keeping the world pulsating by saving lives and improving others’ health. It reinforces the global call for more people all over the world to donate blood regularly and contribute to better health.
A special focus of this year’s campaign will be the role of young people in ensuring a safe blood supply. In many countries, young people have been at the forefront of activities and initiatives aimed at achieving safe blood supplies through voluntary, non-remunerated blood donations. Young people form a large sector of the population in many societies and are generally full of idealism, enthusiasm and creativity.
The specific objectives of this year’s campaign are to:
- thank blood donors in the world and create wider public awareness of the need for regular, unpaid blood donation;
- promote the community values of blood donation in enhancing community solidarity and social cohesion;
- encourage youth to embrace the humanitarian call to donate blood and inspire others to do the same;
- celebrate the potential of youth as partners in promoting health.
How can Bagmo help in increasing blood availability?
- We assure the quality of blood by tracking blood temperature during storage and logistics.
- Each bag is electronically scanned into the system.
- It implements accountability and traceability of blood bag which enables the mother blood bank to take back its unused blood within the correct time.
- We provided more confidence to doctors to store blood in rural areas which will ultimately increase the availability of blood.
- Monitoring individual blood bags will help in vein to vein inventory management
