World BLOOD DONOR Day 2024

20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors!

On World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on 14 June 2024, WHO, its partners and communities across the world will unite 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 transfusion is universally accessible.

The objectives of the campaign:

• thank and recognize 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 transfusion.

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

Here are some interesting facts about donating blood –

Donating blood is good for heart: Blood flow and blood volume is integral to keeping the heart beating. However, while it may sound counterintuitive, regularly donating blood can improve heart health, not compromise it.

Donating blood lowers cancer risk: Donating blood can reduce the donor’s risk of developing cancer. Iron, one of the main minerals found in blood, has been known to increase the amount of free-radical damage in the body.

Could justify skipping a workout: If saving the lives of others and improving your own personal health isn’t enough to get you to donate blood, how about the possible weight loss advantages.

One man saved 2 million babies due to his rare blood: While it’s estimated that the average person can save about 1,000 lives in a lifetime due to donating blood, James Harrison was able to save around 2 million due to his rare blood type. Harrison’s blood contained high levels of an antibody known as anti-D immunoglobulin which was specifically used to help babies with a condition known as Rhesus disease. In short, the immune system of mothers carrying babies with Rhesus disease attacks the foetus. However, a transfusion of Harrison’s blood can prevent such an attack.