World Blood Donor Day

If you were told that there was something you could do to save a life—something easy and free—would you do it?

It seems like a no-brainer.

So . . . what’s stopping you from becoming a blood donor?

World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) takes place on June 14. It was established by the World Health Organization in 2004 to celebrate donors around the world.

WBDD is also a day to raise everyone’s awareness—including governments—about the importance of safe access to clean blood and to encourage more people to become regular, unpaid volunteer donors.

Not everyone has access to clean, safe blood transfusions. In low-income countries, the rate of donation is only about 0.4%. This is partly because the proper equipment isn’t always available.

A staggering 42% of blood donations are collected in rich countries—which make up only 16% of the population. But even in those high-income countries, only about 3.3% of people eligible to give blood are actually registered to donate. The world needs more donors!

In the United States, someone needs blood (or blood products) every two seconds. That adds up to more than 16,000 litres every single day. 

What do we mean by “products”? Well, blood can be separated into different parts—platelets, red blood cells, and plasma. They’re used for people in varying circumstances, including:

• Women who have lost blood during pregnancy or childbirth
• Children who suffer from anemia due to malnutrition
• People who have blood disorders or immune system conditions
• Victims of natural disasters, traffic accidents, or other injuries
• Those who are having surgery

The best thing you can do to help is to become a regular blood donor. Every time you donate, you’ll be saving up to three people’s lives! But even if you’re unable to donate, there are other things you can do:

• Share information on social media
• Encourage your friends and family to register and donate regularly
• Volunteer with your local blood bank to help promote blood donation and organize blood drives

The World Health Organization says it best: “Health is a human right.” Let’s do what we can to help make sure safe blood transfusions are available to everyone, everywhere. 

World Blood Donor Day Comprehension

Start Quiz

Question

Your answer:

Correct answer:

Next

You got {{SCORE_CORRECT}} out of {{SCORE_TOTAL}}

Your Answers

Share this Lesson  

Send it:

Share it: