< Blood Service News - 13.06.2011

Worldwide recognition for blood donors on 14th June

14th June, World Blood Donor Day, will raise awareness of the importance to patient care of safe blood components and regular blood donors.

Blood components help millions of patients every year. Regular blood donors guarantee the sufficiency of blood components and serve as role models to others.

In the last ten years, an increasing number of countries have based their blood supply system on voluntary, unpaid blood donors. According to the World Health Organization WHO, the blood donation system of 62 countries is currently based on voluntary donors. However, in many developing countries, there is still insufficient blood to meet basic health care needs.

World Blood Donor Day has been celebrated worldwide since 2004. The event is organised by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IRFC), the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT), and the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations (IFBDO/FIODS).

Regular blood donors increasingly important

In Finland, approximately 50,000 patients a year receive blood components as part of medical treatment. Blood components are required for a range of purposes, including the treatment of surgical and cancer patients, accident victims and premature babies. On average, six blood donors are needed to help each patient requiring blood components.

– A huge thank you to our regular blood donors! With their help, we have enough blood components to ensure patient care in all situations. We hope that more people join the chain of assistance, by donating blood two or three times a year, says Satu Pastila, Director of Blood Donation Operations at the FRC Blood Service.

In Finland, approximately 155,000 people donate blood each year. Donations total around 270,000, averaging 1.7 times per donor annually.