Every year on June 14th, the world celebrates blood donors, today is a day to recognize and appreciate the heroes who donate blood to save lives.
The Day was established to increase public awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion; highlight the essential role that unpaid, voluntary blood donors play in national health systems; and support national blood transfusion services, blood donor organisations, and other non-governmental organisations in strengthening and expanding their voluntary blood donor programmes through local and national campaigns.
Millions of lives could be saved by the selfless and honourable act of blood donation. Blood donation, however, can also have a number of advantages for the donor. Donating blood can help avoid hemochromatosis, a disorder that raises the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke, by lowering excess iron levels in the blood.
In order to inspire people to donate blood and plasma, governments are urged to share with various media outlets accounts of individuals particularly transfusion-dependent patients whose lives have been spared via blood or plasma donation.
Each donation is a priceless gift that could save a life, and recurrent donations are essential to creating a reliable and long-lasting blood supply.
