20 years of celebrating giving: thank you, blood donors!

On World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on June 14, 2024, WHO, its partners, and communities across the world united behind the theme: 20 years of celebrating giving: thank you, blood donors!

The 20th anniversary of World Blood Donor Day is an excellent and timely opportunity to thank blood donors across the world for their life-saving donations over the years and honour the profound impact on both patients and donors. It is also a timely moment to address continued challenges and accelerate progress towards a future where safe blood transfusions are universally accessible.

The campaign's objectives are as follows:

• Thank and recognise the millions of voluntary blood donors who have contributed to the health and well-being of millions of people around the world.

• Showcase the achievements and challenges of national blood programmes, and share best      practices and lessons learned.

• Highlight the continuous need for regular, unpaid blood donation to achieve universal access to safe blood transfusions.

• Promote a culture of regular blood donation among young people and the general public, and increase the diversity and sustainability of the blood donor pool.

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.

• The wide participation of the population in regular blood and plasma donations ensures that everyone can access blood and plasma proteins when they need      them.

• 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.

Source: World Health Organisation