However, access to blood suffers shortages, particularly in developing countries. To ensure safe blood access to all, countries need voluntary, unpaid donors who give blood regularly. Not many people volunteer to donate blood due to lack of awareness or sheer ignorance.

Save a Life through Blood Donation

Blood donation is the most valuable gift that anyone can give to another person – the gift of life. It is normal for a healthy person to donate blood three times a year. Blood normally generates within the given time to keep up with the body’s functioning.

A single decision of blood donation can rescue millions’ life through transfusion of blood or blood products. Access to competent and sufficient blood and blood products through regular donations also helps in diminishing the rates of death and disability due to severe bleeding during delivery and after childbirth in women.

Give Blood and keep the World Beating

The World Blood Donor Day slogan for 2021 is “Give blood and keep the world beating”, which highlights the indispensable offering of blood donors to save lives and keep the world pulsating.

Young people a large sector of the population in many societies and are usually full of idealism, enthusiasm, and creativity. The drive thereby augments the global invite for more young people all over the world to be at the lead of activities and initiatives aimed at achieving safe blood supplies via regular and voluntary blood donation for better health

The History – How did it all start?

The World Blood Donor Day was first founded in 2005 by the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies during the 58th World Health Assembly, after the success of World Health Day in the year 2000, which converged on blood donation and the safety of transfusions

It is one of the 11 official international public health campaigns by the WHO. The international day marks the birthday anniversary of the scientist Karl Landsteiner June 14 (1868) – a Nobel Prize awardee for his discovery of the ABO blood group system and also toils as a tribute to his discovery.

The scientist had also co-discovered the Rh factor of blood groups. The day thereby provides a platform for citizens, governments, and health authorities to become more aware of the need to strengthen the safe blood donation network.

World Blood Donor Day 2021: The Objectives

The specific objectives of this year’s 2021 campaign are to:

• Appreciate blood donors in the world and formulate a broader public perception of the requirement for regular, unpaid blood donation.
• Support the marks of blood donation in improving community solidarity and social cohesion.
• Foster youth to encompass the humanitarian call to donate blood and incite others to do likewise.
• Commemorate the potential of youth as partners in promoting health.

Helping Hands in COVID-19 Crisis

Despite the insufficient mobility and other challenges executed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the blood donors in many countries have endured donating blood and plasma to patients who need a transfusion.

This highlights the extraordinary effort during a time of unprecedented crisis by unsung heroes in ensuring a safe and sufficient blood supply during normal and emergency times.

The day also calls the governments and national health authorities into action for providing adequate resources to increase the collection of blood from committed, voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors.

‘Celebrating the Gift of Blood’ Virtually!

For the first time, the 2021 WBDD global event will be live-streamed due to the emergency restrictions and uncertainty posed by COVID-19. Italy is set to host a global virtual event on World Blood Donor Day 2021 through its National Blood Centre, its associations, and the Ministry of Health on 14 June 2021 in Rome.

The event hosts a focus on encouraging the people to become voluntary unpaid blood donors by going to the nearby free blood donation campaigns organized through voluntary bodies like NGOs and medical institutes. The event invites global involvement and support from every country, community, and blood center to ensure the greater and the successful impact of this life-saving act of solidarity.

The observance is also being held for the first time in two cities on 14 June 2021: Hamilton, Bermuda, and Kingston, Jamaica by The Pan American Health Organization to achieve universal health for all in the Region of the Americas.

The event serves as a possibility to hear many voices and everyday life encounters of the regular and anonymous blood collection system, and also the pivotal role of Blood Donor Associations and Federations. The World Health Organization intends to attain sufficient blood supply by 2021 with Voluntary unpaid blood donors’ help.

All of us need to actualize how significant and indispensable blood donation is. Become the real HERO in someone’s life by donating blood.

Quotes for World Blood Donor Day 2021:

• ‘A donation of blood means a few minutes to you, but a lifetime for somebody else.’
• ‘Don’t let fools or mosquitoes suck your blood, put it to good use.’
• ‘The donation of blood makes the difference between life and death.’
• ‘Your blood donation can give a precious smile to someone’s face.’
• ‘Donate blood and be the reason for the smile on many faces.’
• ‘Blood donation will cost you nothing, but it will save a life!’
• ‘Your blood is precious: Donate, save a life & make it Divine.
• ‘Never feel yourself weak, you have the ability to save a life. Just donate blood.’
• ‘To give blood you need neither extra strength nor extra food, and you will save a life.’
• ‘Donate your blood for a reason. Let the reason be life.’

References:

1. Announcing World Blood Donor Day 2021
   – (https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2021/06/14/default-calendar/world-blood-donor-day-2021)
2. World Blood Donor Day – (https://www.paho.org/en/world-blood-donor-day)

Source: Medindia