WHO Calls For More Voluntary Blood Donors

As the world celebrates the tenth annual World Blood Donor Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on all countries to ensure that by 2020, all their supplies of blood and blood products are gotten from voluntary unpaid donors.

In a statement, the organization said every year, the world's demand for blood and blood products increases due to increasing number of patients that require transfusion for life-threatening conditions. It also revealed that there is increase in the number of voluntary blood donations.

"In 2011, nearly 83 million blood donations were collected worldwide from voluntary unpaid blood donors, an increase of close to 8 million donations from 2004," WHO stated.

On the roles of voluntary blood donors, the coordinator of WHO's Blood Transfusion Safety, Dr Neelam Dhingra, said voluntarily donated blood is central to ensuring safe and sufficient blood chains in countries.

“Blood collection from voluntary non-remunerated blood donors is the cornerstone of a safe and sufficient blood supply in all countries. More voluntary blood donors are needed to meet the increasing needs and to improve access to this life-saving therapy,” Dhingra said.

The international agency also revealed that 60 nations get all their blood supplies from voluntary unpaid blood donors.

"Currently, 60 countries collect 100% of their blood supply from voluntary unpaid blood donors (35 are high-income countries, 18 middle-income countries and 7 low-income countries).

"Six of these countries have achieved this target from a percentage lower than 75% reported in 2004: Cook Islands (from 40%), Kenya (from 53%), Nicaragua (from 41%), Turkey (from 40%), United Arab Emirates (from 59%) and Zambia (from 72%).

"However, more progress is needed, with 73 countries still collecting more than 50% of their blood supply from replacement or paid donors," WHO stated.