World Blood Donor Day, 14 June, was established by the World Health Assembly in 2005. The day is meant to recognize the efforts of voluntary blood donors, and it highlights the significance of voluntary non remunerated blood donations in the provision of adequate and safe blood supplies. The theme of Blood Donor Day this year is “Commitment to Ensure Universal Access to Safe Blood”. Encouraging voluntary blood donations is one of the objectives of the Blood Safety Strategy for the African Region adopted by the ministers of health during the fifty-first session of the Regional Committee held in Brazzaville in 2001.
The need to collect enough blood and to make it available for patients is more acute in developing countries and particularly in Africa. Many patients, especially women and children, die because of lack of blood or are infected when transfused with unsafe blood. This occurs often in remote areas which lack facilities for blood collecting and processing. It is a government responsibility to ensure adequate provision of safe blood where needed.
Recent surveys conducted in 38 countries in the WHO African Region revealed that in a population of over 430 million people, approximately 2.2 million units of blood were collected in 2004. This annual collection rate was about 5 units per 1000 population, a rate far below the estimated requirement of 10–30 units per 1000. In only 12 of the countries, the collected blood was entirely from voluntary non remunerated blood donors. Of the collected blood, 98.5% was screened for HIV, 94.53% for hepatitis B, 81% for hepatitis C and 96.25% for syphilis. The risk of transmitting these diseases via blood transfusion therefore exists because not all blood is screened prior to transfusion. Unfortunately, in some countries, these diseases are sometimes prevalent among first-time donors.
However, important achievements have been made by some countries where safety and availability of blood to the public have improved significantly because of political commitment and strategy implementation. In 2004, eight countries in the Region registered blood collection rates of more than 10 units per 1000 population. Also, there are countries with well-developed donor recruitment programmes and good quality collection systems; they have achieved very low prevalence of transfusion-transmittable infections among voluntary blood donors. HIV prevalence rates below 0.5% have been recorded among first-time blood donors in eight countries where the rates in the general population are much higher. Also, in seven countries, the regular voluntary blood donors have been shown to have lower HIV prevalence rates than first-time donors.
I would like to congratulate all those who have achieved such results and invite them to augment their efforts and also share their success stories with other countries in the Region. I am inviting those who have not been able to meet their expectations to identify their constraints in order to find specific solutions to their challenges.
To all blood donors, I would like to reiterate that you constitute the backbone of blood transfusion services. Little can be achieved without your contribution, through your precious gift, the gift of life. The tremendous work done individually and through your various associations and clubs has contributed to save millions of lives. On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day 2006, I thank you once again for your valuable contribution to the global efforts to provide adequate and safe blood for all patients in need.
I call upon all of you who are healthy and eligible to come forth and donate blood to save more lives and give joy to those who are sad. None of us know when or where we might need blood; let us join hands to save lives by the simple but honourable act of donating blood.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with country offices, headquarters, and all other partners, will continue to provide the necessary support for developing policies, strategies, plans and materials to build up reliable and effective blood transfusion services based on voluntary non remunerated blood donations.
It is only through everyone’s commitment to voluntary blood donation that universal access to safe blood can be ensured.