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This World Blood Donor Day, Make Blood Donation A Part Of Your Routine And Experience Happiness Of Saving Lives
Writer: Tashafi Nazir
For most people, journalism sounds hectic and chaotic. For her, it's a passion she has been chasing for years. With an extensive media background, Tashafi believes in putting efforts on presenting a simple incident in the most interesting way.
India, 14 Jun 2022 9:30 AM GMT
Editor : Shiva Chaudhary |
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Creatives : Tashafi Nazir
For most people, journalism sounds hectic and chaotic. For her, it's a passion she has been chasing for years. With an extensive media background, Tashafi believes in putting efforts on presenting a simple incident in the most interesting way.
The World Blood Donor Day 2022 slogan is “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives” to draw attention to the roles that voluntary blood donations play in saving lives and enhancing community solidarity.
World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) is observed on June 14 each year. The event was organised for the first time in 2005, by a joint initiative of the World Health Organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood.
According to WHO, the day also allows calling to action for governments and national health authorities to provide adequate resources to increase blood collection from voluntary, unpaid blood donors and manage access to blood and the transfusion of those who require it.
The World Blood Donor Day 2022 slogan is "Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives" to draw attention to the roles that voluntary blood donations play in saving lives and enhancing community solidarity.
The need for blood is universal, but its access for all who need it is not. Blood shortages are mainly acute in low and middle-income countries.
"I think blood donation is an expression of unconditional kindness and compassion. The importance of blood donation should be inculcated in schools and colleges. It is one of the noblest and easiest good jobs anyone can do," Dipesh Tank, Lead, Strategy and Communications V Care Foundation (a cancer patient-focused volunteer-driven organisation) told The Logical Indian.
"People should pledge to donate blood four times a year and experience the happiness of saving up to 12 lives," he added.
World Blood Donor Day marks the birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, who first distinguished human blood into A, B, AB and O groups. He even won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1930. This year, the global event will take place in Mexico. The country's National Blood Centre will host World Blood Donor Day on June 14, 2022.
In India, the number of voluntary blood donors increased from 54.4 per cent in 2006–2007 to 83.1 per cent in 2011–2012, with the number of blood units rising from 4.4 million units in 2006–2007 to 9.3 million units in 2012–2013. In 2016, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported a donation of 10.9 million units against a requirement of 12 million units. 12.7 million units were donated in 2020, lower than projected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why Is Blood Donation Important During COVID-19 Pandemic?
With the outbreak of COVID-19 and its containment measures, blood centres faced a considerable challenge in balancing blood demand and supply and devising a preparedness plan to withstand the uncertain situation.
In India, the motivation and willingness to donate blood among the general population are low, let alone in a pandemic situation where considerable uncertainty prevails regarding the safety of blood donation and the risk of transfusion transmission of the infection. In addition, the restriction put forth in people's movement to contain the disease spread became a hindrance factor for regular voluntary blood donors, even if they wished to donate.
In a post-COVID world, its significance has also increased. As per WHO, a country needs 1 per cent of its population in blood units. Notably, India did not fulfil the criteria even before the COVID outbreak, Jagran reported.
World Blood Donor Day 2022 shows that despite the COVID pandemic, blood donation is needed in India to help people with anaemia, thalassemia, and blood cancers, among other conditions. Voluntary blood donation must be encouraged to help people in the crucial times when the world is already fighting the deadly virus.
"Fear of a pandemic like COVID-19 completely isolates you from everyone else. It's time we understand and realise the risk involved, take calculated risks and be helpful to people around us," Dipesh said.
How Can People Contribute To Blood Donation?
Individuals across the world can ensure a more significant impact for World Blood Donor Day, increasing recognition that giving blood is a life-saving act of solidarity, The Economic Times reported.
1. Spread awareness about the significance of blood donation. An adult can donate half a litre of blood (one unit) once every three months, which in turn can help up to three people.
2. Reach out to your nearby blood donation centre and donate blood if you are eligible under the guidelines. NBTC website provides the list of eligibility criteria for blood donation.
3. Do not wait for World Blood Donor Day to help and save lives. According to NBTC, any healthy adult, both men and women, can donate blood. Men can donate safely once every three months, while women can donate every four months.
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