ISLAMABAD: World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) will be observed on Saturday with events marking new initiatives and activities for ensuring blood safety as well as year-round blood donor campaigns.
The day is jointly organised by the World Health Organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Society of Blood Transfusion, and the International Federation of Blood Donor Organisations.
Millions of people owe their lives to people they will never meet, people who donate their blood freely and without any reward. However, the overwhelming majority of the world’s population does not have access to safe blood.
Over 80 million units of blood are donated every year, but only 38 per cent are collected in developing countries where 82 per cent of the global population lives.
Dr Murtaza, assistant director of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, while talking to a group of reporters on the eve of the WBDD said Pakistan was a developing country in the process of establishing a blood transfusion service (BTS) based on the international principle of voluntary blood donation.
He said though 70 per cent of the country population was youth, less than 29 years of age, yet only 10 per cent of the collected blood was from voluntary donors and 90 per cent from unhealthy unsafe replacement donations.
“Globally the theme of WBDD is ‘Giving Blood Regularly’ to increase base of voluntary blood donors and encourage eligible donors to donate regularly so as to meet national blood requirements, ensure access to safe blood transfusion when needed and achieve the goal of 100 per cent voluntary blood donation,” he informed.
However, in Pakistan context there is a great need to raise the level of awareness among the masses, specially targeting the youth. This can be best achieved by launching a campaign asking a simple question — Do You Know Your Blood Group? — he added.
“Most people do not know their blood group and are unaware of how this simple information can help save their life and the lives of others in emergencies,” he said.
He stated initiating the process of blood grouping was the first step that leads to voluntary blood donation.
It is expected at the end of this campaign, community members will be encouraged to learn their blood group for supporting Blood Transfusion Service with Voluntary Non- Remunerated Blood Donation, thereby reducing hospital reliance on replacement donation and assuring safer quality of blood and blood components.
“The campaign was first planned nationwide but due to lack of funding and resource it is now launched on pilot basis in the capital where the National Headquarters of PRCS lies,” Dr Murtaza said.
He further said it was the first time in the history of Pakistan that the government along with blood transfusion authorities had joined hands with the Pakistan Red Crescent Society and its movement partners to celebrate WBDD and had extended full support to create awareness regarding importance of safe blood and voluntary blood donation among the masses.
Dr Murtaza pointed out that the PRCS with the support of International Federation of the Red Cross Red Crescent Societies and World Health Organisation this year planned to celebrate the WBDD in a befitting manner, bringing new partners to the platform of blood awareness like Islamabad Blood Transfusion Authority (IBTA), Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion (AFIT) and Telenor, leading cellular service providers.