Message of the Regional Director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, on World Blood Donor Day

Maseru-Blood transfusion performs a vital function within the provision of lifesaving well being care. Susceptible individuals, corresponding to moms throughout childbirth, under-nourished and malaria-affected kids, victims of trauma and accidents, and sufferers affected by sickle cell and different continual ailments, significantly profit from this care1.

We be a part of the worldwide neighborhood to mark the selfless act of donating blood. World Blood Donor Day is just not merely a date on the calendar; it’s a celebration of altruism, empathy, and social accountability. It’s a day to acknowledge and honor blood donors whose acts assist save the lives of others.

This yr’s world marketing campaign carries the theme: “20 years of celebrating giving: Thanks, blood donors!” We specific our gratitude to blood, plasma, and platelet donors within the African area and the world for his or her lifesaving donations. Furthermore, our gratitude is a name to motion to inspire extra people to donate blood.

Every donation is a beacon of hope in somebody’s life. There are quite a few transformative tales of donation, every distinctive, but all share a typical thread of compassion and humanity. We admire the gesture and are immensely grateful to all of the donors in our area and worldwide; we owe them a debt of gratitude.

Up to now decade, we have now supplied technical and monetary assist to our Member States of their efforts to enhance blood merchandise availability, high quality, and security by the next 4-7:

1. Creating and implementing insurance policies, strategic plans, norms, requirements, and tips
2. Establishing the regulatory system for blood, blood parts, and blood merchandise

c) Constructing capability of nationwide regulatory authorities and Nationwide Blood Transfusion Providers to execute the efficient regulatory oversight and coordination wanted to make sure the implementation of high quality requirements

4. Strengthening collaboration with companions to advertise WHO management in creating and implementing greatest practices in blood high quality and security within the area.

Our Member States within the African Area have made vital progress between 2015 and 20221-3

1. The variety of international locations which have absolutely developed a nationwide blood coverage, elevated from 37 in 2015 to 43 in 2022.
2. The typical variety of blood models collected per 1000 inhabitants elevated from 4.5 to five.2 as in comparison with the regional goal of 10 models per 1000 inhabitants.

c) The share of nations taking part in an exterior high quality evaluation scheme for transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) elevated from 55.3% to 62.2%. 

We sincerely thank our Member States for his or her efforts.

Regardless of these enhancements, international locations should deal with the persistent challenges within the availability of protected blood and blood merchandise. Via collective efforts, they need to increase satisfactory and sustainable funding, proceed to construct methods and capacities to extend blood donation charges, and separate donated blood into its parts that may be saved for long-term use.

At the moment, African international locations gather solely 5.2 units2 of blood for each 1000 individuals, under the ten donations or extra per 1000 individuals really useful by WHO and much from the 33 models of blood per 1000 individuals collected in developed international locations. As well as, solely 18 out of 47 2 international locations had reached the regional goal of a minimum of 80% of blood provide from Voluntary Non-Remunerated Blood Donors. But, the demand for blood stays fixed, whereas the availability typically falls brief.

This twentieth anniversary is becoming to replicate on our achievements, deal with our challenges, and envision a future the place protected blood transfusion is universally accessible.

Allow us to additionally bear in mind the well being of blood donors and the standard of care accorded to them. That is vital in encouraging them and constructing the dedication and willingness to donate blood repeatedly.

I urge our Member States to uphold the blood regulatory methods we’ve put in place and arrange a particular nationwide time to encourage residents to donate blood.

I encourage donor organizations to assist our capacity-building efforts for environment friendly Nationwide Blood Transfusion Providers.

I like to recommend that communities assist those that donate blood to encourage others to donate. This has the potential to create an exponential improve within the availability of life-saving donor blood when and the place it’s wanted most.

Thanks, blood donors and all who assist them.

Study extra:

1. International standing report on blood security and availability 2021 https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789240051683

2. WHO África Area standing report on blood availability, security, and high quality (2022). https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/363421

3. World Well being Group (1975). Utilization and provide of human blood and blood merchandise. In: twenty eighth World Well being Meeting 1975. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO. [Resolution WHA28.72] (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHA28.72), accessed 25 April 2024.

4. World Well being Group (2005). Blood security: proposal to ascertain World Blood Donor Day. In: 58th World Well being Meeting 2005. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO. [Resolution WHA58.13] (https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA58/WHA58_13-en.pdf, accessed 25 April 2024).

5. World Well being Group (2010). Availability, security and high quality of blood merchandise. In: 63rd World Well being Meeting. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO. [Resolution WHA63.12] (https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA63/A63_R12-en.pdf, accessed 25 April 2024).

6. World Well being Group (2014). Regulatory system strengthening for medical merchandise. In: 67th World Well being Meeting. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO. [Resolution WHA67.20] (https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA67/A67_R20-en.pdf, accessed 25 April 2024).