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
You can find all the campaign materials for this years World Blood Donor Day here.