14th June: World Blood Donor Day

Share life, Give Blood

Very few of you may know that today it is world blood donor day. People in many countries around the world celebrate world blood donor day on 14th June, on the day of birth anniversary of Nobel prize winner American biologist Karl Landsteiner, who first distinguished the main blood groups thus enabling the transfusion of blood without endangering the life of the patient.You can read more about Karl Landsteiner here.

World blood donor day has been celebrated annually since 2004 by World health organisation (WHO), with the aim of improving the safety and adequacy of national blood supplies by promoting a substantial increase in the number of safe, voluntary, unpaid donors who give blood regularly. This year the host country for world blood donor day is Netherlands with the theme 'Blood connects us all' . 

Transfusion of blood and blood products helps save millions of lives every year. It can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and with higher quality of life, and supports complex medical and surgical procedures. It also has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and perinatal care. Access to safe and sufficient blood and blood products can help reduce rates of death and disability due to severe bleeding during delivery and after childbirth.In many countries, there is not an adequate supply of safe blood, and blood services face the challenge of making sufficient blood available, while also ensuring its quality and safety.An adequate supply can only be assured through regular donations by voluntary unpaid blood donors. The WHO’s goal is for all countries to obtain all their blood supplies from voluntary unpaid donors by 2020. In 2014, 60 countries have their national blood supplies based on 99-100% voluntary unpaid blood donations, with 73 countries still largely dependent on family and paid donors.

Though most of the people in modern time are aware of facts about blood transfusion but still some people do not consider blood donation a healthy practice. So I am presenting some facts on blood donation and transfusion:

1. A person above 18 years and below 60 years, meeting other health criteria can donate blood.

2. A healthy person can donate blood with minimum gap of 3 months in each donation.

3. One should have a good meal low in fat and high in iron at least four hours before blood donation.

4.On the day of blood donation one should avoid arduous exercise and weightlifting and remember to      drink plenty of fluids. It is also an good idea to avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverage as they            dehydrate body.

5. Some people believe that donating blood make them feel weak but the truth is that it takes a day or       two to replenish the fluid volume.

6. One can easily resume their normal day to day activities after donating blood but should take care of     following:

• Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water including juice within 24 hours of donating blood.
• Avoid smoking for next 4 hours.
• Avoid alcohol for next 24 hours.

7. Some people think that there are plenty of donors, why should they bother? but fact is only 9 million       units of blood are collected annually while the need is for 12 million units.

Here I would like to conclude that anyone meeting the criteria can donate blood and should donate the blood because donating blood is one of the best ways to save someone's life.

                                THANK YOU.