ISLAMABAD: Donating blood is essential for saving lives and it also offers an array of physical and mental health benefits to the donor.

This was pointed out by health experts on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, which was observed in Pakistan and other parts of the world on Tuesday. The slogan for the day this year is ‘Donating Blood is An Act of Solidarity’.

The experts said any healthy adult, both male and female, could donate blood.

Various activities were arranged in the city to observe the day by public and private organisations with an objective to educate people about the importance of donating blood. An awareness seminar was also arranged at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims). The day is observed to support national blood transfusion services, blood donor organisations and other non-governmental organisations in strengthening and expanding their voluntary blood donor programmes by reinforcing national and local campaigns.

Experts said men could donate blood safely once in every three months while women could donate it every four months.

“Blood and blood products are important for effective management of women suffering from various diseases, children suffering from severe anaemia due to malaria and malnutrition, patients with blood and bone marrow disorders, inherited disorders of haemoglobin and immune-deficiency conditions, victims of trauma, emergencies, disasters and accidents as well as patients undergoing advanced medical and surgical procedures,” the health experts said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the need for blood is universal, but access to blood for all those who need it is not.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2022