World Blood Donor Day 2024
This year's theme is; 馃└20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors! 馃└
This year more than ever, is an excellent opportunity to thank blood donors across the world for their life-saving donations over the years and how their contributions have had a profound impact on lives all over the globe.
Below are some videos from our community about this year's theme and why we celebrate.
Intro
Why I give blood
Key messages
- Safe blood saves lives.
- Blood is needed by women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anaemia, often resulting from malaria or malnutrition, accident victims and surgical and cancer patients.
- Regular blood donation by a sufficient number of healthy people is needed to ensure that blood will always be available whenever and wherever it is needed.
- While the need for blood is universal, access to blood is not. Blood shortages are acute in low- and middle-income countries.
- Every single blood or plasma donation is a precious lifesaving gift; regular donation is the key to building a safe and sustainable supply.
- Wide participation of the population in regular blood and plasma donations ensure that everyone can access blood and plasma proteins when they need it.
- Ensuring the safety and well-being of blood and plasma donors is critical; it helps build commitment to regular donations.
- Thank you, blood donors. Your selfless donations have had a profound impact on the lives and well-being of hundreds of millions of people, as well as their families and communities across the world.
What can you do
Everyone
- Be a voluntary blood donor and an inspiration to others.
- Commit to being a regular donor and give blood throughout the year.
- Encourage your friends and family to become regular blood donors.
- Volunteer with the blood service to reach out to members of your community, provide care to donors, and help manage blood donation sessions/drives.
- Find out your blood type and register as a blood donor.
- Participate in World Blood Donor Day with your social networks.
Ministries of Health
- Organize and participate in (virtual) activities to celebrate World Blood Donor Day, promoting voluntary unpaid blood donation to the public, across government and to other sectors.
- Acknowledge the crucial role of well-organized, committed voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors in ensuring a safe and sufficient blood supply during normal and emergency times.
- Provide resources and infrastructure to facilitate voluntary blood donation.
- Support the development of nationally coordinated blood transfusion services that provide equitable access to safe and quality assured blood transfusions for the whole population.
- Put quality assurance systems in place for blood and blood products.
- Speak to media about the importance of blood donation and the successes and challenges of your country in meeting national needs for blood.
National blood transfusion services
- Disseminate information about the importance of giving blood.
- Distribute campaign materials that you can download from the World Blood Donor Day campaign website.
- Organize a virtual World Blood Donor Day celebration. This could include: inviting prominent politicians, celebrities and sporting heroes to make videos or communicate on the importance of giving blood;
- Producing and disseminating promotional materials through your web site and social channels; setting up virtual visits of blood centres and inviting the public to learn about blood donation and transfusion; and promoting blood donation success stories and heroic blood donors to your media.
- Improve the infrastructure for blood donation and blood donor care.
- Focus attention on donor health and care and provide quality service to blood donor
Campaign materials