The need to remind the world of the essence and importance of blood has become more pertinent, especially today, June 14 the World Blood Donor Day.
Going memory lane, a joint initiative of the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross, organized the event for the first time in 2005.
The importance of the event was also to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.
This year, 2022 the aim of the World Blood Donor Day will be to draw attention of the world to the roles that voluntary blood donations play in saving lives and enhancing solidarity within communities through its theme, “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives.”
It has also been proven scientifically that the red blood cells and white blood cells are responsible for nourishing and cleansing the body.
On encouraging blood donation, Richard Lower has made history to be the first blood donor in the world. He succeeded in saving life of a dog by transfusing another “dog’s” blood in it.
While the first recorded blood transfusion into vein or artery took place in France in 1667 and was unsuccessful.
Today, the WHO is raising global awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion.
It also highlights the critical contribution voluntary; unpaid blood donors make to national health systems.
In the area of support, it also supports national blood transfusion services, blood donor organizations and other nongovernmental organizations in strengthening and expanding their voluntary blood donor programmes by reinforcing national and local campaigns.
