Every year 14th
June is celebrated as World Blood Donor Day dedicated to "thanking and
celebrating voluntary non-remunerated blood donors". It also happens
to be the birthday of Austrian
physician, Karl Landsteiner, the creator of ABO
blood group system, for which he won Nobel Prize. This day was celebrated for
the first time in 2005, the theme for 2012 World Blood Donor Day is “Every
Blood donor is a hero" focuses on the idea that every one of us can become
a hero by giving blood. One of the mail goals of World Blood Donor Day is to
ensure the availability of 'safe blood' for transfusion. The designation
of this special day has support of all major stakeholders in blood transfusion
medicine and blood transfusion services including
World Health Organization -WHO, International Society of Blood
Transfusion- ISBT, International Federation of Blood Donor
Organization- FIODS and the International Federation for Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies- IFRC. The global need for safe blood and voluntary donation
has increased many folds in last few decades. Every second of everyday,
people around the world - of all ages and from all walks of life - need blood
transfusion to survive, the reasons for transfusion vary but the demand of
blood is ever-present and growing:
- The number of accidents and injuries requiring blood transfusion is growing worldwide.
- Developing countries like India face chronic shortage of blood which particularly affects children with severe anaemia due to malaria or malnutrition and women with complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
- As developing countries expand diagnostic and treatment options – for example for cancers and blood disorders requiring blood transfusion - the demand for blood is rising.
- Technological advances in industrialized countries have led to medical treatment regimens and procedures requiring transfusion.
In a recent statistics report, it
has been seen that while the need for safe blood is universal, access to blood
who really need it is sadly not. There is major imbalance in access to safe
blood between developing and industrialized nations across the globe. Only 40%
of blood collected each year is donated in developing countries, which is home
to over 80% of world’s population. The average number of blood donors per 1000
population is 12 times higher in high income countries than in low income
countries. An overwhelming 99% of women who die each year, during pregnancy and
childbirth live in developing countries, with haemorrhage – which invariably
requires blood transfusion – the most common cause of maternal deaths. In
Africa 70% of blood transfusion is given to children with severe anaemia due to
malaria, the leading cause of death among children under the age of five. The
health related Millennium Development Goals to reduce child mortality, improve
maternal health and prevent HIV can’t be achieved without equitable and
universal access of safe blood.
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| Donation and Population |
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| Types of Blood Donation |
Blood transfusion saves lives but
transfusion of unsafe blood puts lives at risk because HIV, hepatitis B,
hepatitis C, syphilis, malaria and other infections can be transmitted to the
recipients through transfusion. Blood which tests positive for any of these infections
can’t be transfused and is discarded thus results in additional financial
costs. Globally up to 4 million people have infected with HIV by transfusion of
unsafe blood. The prevalence of Hepatitis, syphilis and other infections in
donated blood is still unacceptably high in many developing countries. Many
countries lack policies, procedures or resources for ensuring safety of blood
particularly in Africa, Eastern Europe, Central- Asia and South/South-East Asia
which are facing HIV/AIDS pandemic. Also some infections, such as HIV, cannot
be detected in person’s blood during ‘window period’, laboratory testing of
donated blood – no matter how sophisticated – is, alone, not enough to ensure a
safe blood supply. The safest blood comes from safest blood donors.
Voluntary, unpaid blood donors –
people who give blood of their own free will without receiving any form of cash
or in kind payment – are the key to ensuring that safe blood is available to
every patient who needs it, wherever they may be. Evidence from around the
world shows that the prevalence of infection with HIV, hepatitis viruses and
other transfusion-transmissible infections is invariably lowest among voluntary
unpaid donors who give blood for purely altruistic reasons. Voluntary donors
are more likely to be honest in answering the questions about their health and
lifestyle that help to screen out those at risk of carrying these infections.
They are also more likely to lead low-risk lifestyles benefiting both
themselves and the patients who receive their blood. In contrast, the prevalence
of infection among family replacement blood donors and paid donors is generally
the same as in the general population. In every country, a reliable supply of
safe blood from donors with different blood groups is needed throughout the
year. It is therefore crucial that healthy, voluntary, unpaid blood donors make
a commitment to give blood regularly. In addition to ensuring an adequate
supply of blood at all times, regular voluntary blood donors are the safest
donors because they have been educated about how to stay healthy and lead
lifestyles that that are free from the risk of acquiring serious infections.
Every person involved in donor
recruitment should value voluntary, unpaid blood donors as the source of a sustainable
and safe blood supply. Regardless of the type of national blood programme –
whether hospital-based or coordinated at national or regional levels – the
common focus should be the recruitment and retention of voluntary unpaid
donors. However, a well-organized national blood programme is the key to
effective communication with donors and good donor care. Public awareness
campaigns and donor education materials should be based on a well-re-searched
assessment of the needs for information by the public and should address common
fears or misconceptions that may deter people from donating blood. Healthy
family replacement donors should be encouraged to become voluntary unpaid
donors. By reminding them of how their loved ones have benefited from the gift
of blood, they may recognize how regular voluntary blood donation will benefit
other people's loved ones. Particular attention should be given to youth donor
retention strategies as they form the basis of a stable pool of blood donors in
the future. Professionalism in the handling and care of blood donors by staff
will encourage the donor public to become regular blood donors as they will
have confidence that the blood donation process is safe and their blood will be
used appropriately. This will in turn attract new donors to come forward and
donate blood.
Doctors and nurses are also key
partners who can motivate the families and friends of patients who have
received a transfusion to become regular, voluntary blood donors. Professional organizations,
such as national medical and nursing associations, can also play an important role
in promoting awareness of the need for blood donors as well as encouraging the
use of transfusion only when no alternative treatment is possible.
Some facts about Blood and Blood donation
- Blood cannot be manufactured – it can only come from generous donors.
- Type O-negative blood (red cells) can be transfused to patients of all blood types. It is always in great demand and often in short supply.
- Type AB-positive plasma can be transfused to patients of all other blood types. AB plasma is also usually in short supply.
- Donating blood is a safe process. A sterile needle is used only once for each donor and then discarded.
- The average adult has about 11 units of blood in his body. Roughly 1 unit is given during a donation.
- A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days, or double red cells every 112 days.
- A healthy donor may donate platelets as few as 7 days apart, but a maximum of 24 times a year.
- There are four types of transfusable products that can be derived from blood: red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate. Typically, two or three of these are produced from a unit of donated whole blood – hence each donation can help save up to three lives.
- Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. The body will replenish the elements given during a blood donation – some in a matter of hours and others in a matter of weeks
- Blood donation is a pious deed and best social service.
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Data and Statics Source: WHO & WBDD websites
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