World Blood Donation Day: A Blood Donation Saves Lives
Donating blood is not only important on World Blood Donation Day!
Every year on June 14th, the whole world celebrates World Blood Donation Day. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the date in honor of the scientist Landsteiner in order to raise awareness of the issue of blood donation. But don’t forget: donating blood is important all year round, not just on this day!
Landsteiner was an Austrian biologist who was born on June 14, 1868. He made a name for himself as a scientist when he discovered how to type blood types based on the AB0 system. For this he received the Nobel Prize in 1930.
In addition, a motto is always chosen for World Blood Donation Day. In 2020 it will be “ Safe Blood for All ”. The aim is to raise awareness of the safety measures that must be taken for the collection, storage and transfusion of human blood.
We must not forget that blood is an element that we cannot make artificially. Therefore, a donation is the only way to give this substance and its components to patients.
What does it mean to get safe blood by donating blood?
World Blood Donation Day not only underlines the solidarity of the donors, but also the work of the blood banks that manage this body fluid and store the samples. Keeping the blood safe, so that recipient patients do not become infected, is key to this process.
Safe blood is blood that does not contain pathogenic microorganisms and does not contain toxic substances. These include viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
A few decades ago, the transmission of pathogens in donor blood was a major problem. There have been cases of hepatitis C and Chagas infections due to unsafe transfusions.
Fortunately, over time, the control and detection systems for disease in donated blood have improved. Today, numerous diseases are checked immediately as soon as the tissue donation is received. There are tests for hepatitis, HIV, syphilis, Chagas, and brucellosis. For this reason, if a donor’s blood tests positive for a disease, it will be destroyed. At the same time, the protocol provides for notifying the donor for advice and treatment.
Safe blood is also not marketed
Furthermore, World Blood Donation Day reminds us of the voluntary nature of blood donation. Nobody can force us to donate, nor should we be given any financial incentive to do so. It is forbidden in all countries to market blood donations.
For this reason, security also depends on the public policies that are implemented to protect the privacy of donors and their integrity. In addition, the act must remain voluntary and altruistic. It cannot be conditional.
This is difficult in the global economic context. Most blood donations are concentrated in high-income countries. Because of this, there is less available to the rest of the population and commercialization is favored.
Who can donate blood?
Although the issue of blood donation is well known to the entire population, there are certain restrictions that also apply to the health of the donors. In order to guarantee the quality, there are also groups of people who are not allowed to make donations, such as B. Health care workers as they may have an illness due to their job.
As for weight, the donor is said to weigh more than 50 kilograms. And as for age, it is restricted to those between the ages of 18 and 65 for legal reasons and because of the possible minimal adverse effects that tend to occur in the elderly .
In addition, the same person should not donate more than 3 or 4 times in the course of a year. This regulation is based on the red blood cell exchange time, which varies between 90 days and 3 months. This gives the bone marrow enough time to recover.
Usually someone from the team of healthcare professionals conducts the initial interview to determine the feasibility of the donation. If the requirements are met, the person is allowed to donate blood.
World Blood Donation Day and the awareness of saving lives with a blood donation
Though it may seem like a small act, donating blood saves lives. Thanks to blood banks, it is possible to improve survival in complicated operations and treat congenital haematological diseases.
World Blood Donation Day is about solidarity and recognition of those who care for the health of others without self-interest. You can help with a blood donation in your catchment area. Check with the Red Cross or a blood bank.
