13.06.2013

World Blood Donor Day is celebrated every year on 14 June to raise awareness of the importance of blood donation and to recognize the contribution of voluntary unpaid blood donors in saving lives and improving health. The date was chosen to commemorate the birthday of Nobel Prize winner Karl Landsteiner, who discovered the ABO blood grouping system.

Every year millions of lives are saved thanks to the transfusion of blood and blood products – people injured in accidents, disasters and incidents; newly born babies and their mothers; patients that need complex medical and surgical procedures; people suffering from chronic conditions whose life can be supported only through regular transfusion of blood…

With the slogan „Give the gift of life: donate blood“, this year’s campaign, the 10th anniversary of World Blood Donor Day, will focus on the value of donated blood to the patient, not only in saving life, but also in helping people live longer and more productive lives. Let’s all take a moment to thank blood donors for their life-saving donations and draw inspiration from them and their selfless acts or humanity to become life-savers and start giving the gift of life ourselves – a gift, that every healthy person on Earth can give and which is priceless for all those in need.

The host country for World Blood Donor Day 2013 is France, but the day is celebrated in more than 40 countries all over the world.

World Health Organization’s goal is all countries to obtain all their blood supplies from 100% voluntary unpaid donors by 2020. Today, in 62 countries, national blood supplies are based on more than 99.9% voluntary unpaid blood donation. Unfortunately, in Bulgaria, this percentage is still lower than 25%. The remaining quantity of blood needed is collected from donors, that get paid illegally or family donors. Blood collection from voluntary unpaid blood donors is the cornerstone of a safe and sufficient blood supply. In low- and middle-income countries, the greatest use of donated blood is for pregnancy-related complications and severe childhood anaemia. In high-income countries, transfusion is most commonly used for supportive care in heart surgery, transplant surgery, massive trauma and cancer therapy. Providing safe and adequate blood through well-organized, national blood systems should be an integral part of every country’s national health-care policy, because blood has no substitute and the lifesaving can’t and shoudn’t be measured in money.

Bulgarian Organization of Voluntary Blood Donation joins Bulgaria to the celebrating of the WBDD for yet another year in an effort to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, obtained through voluntary unpaid donation of blood. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you, who gives the gift of life and donates blood by saying a very big “THANK YOU” and to encourage current and potential donors to donate regularly on a voluntary unpaid basis.

Please share your opinion and support voluntary blood donation in Bulgaria through the Bulgarian Organization of Voluntary Blood Donation by liking us on facebook – БОДК / BOVBD – you will receive up-to-date information on the topic, information about blood donation events and emergency help requests. E-mail us on blood.donation.bg@gmail.com and we will provide you with all the necessary information on how to become a regular blood donor and will answer your questions.

Register as a voluntary blood donor and become part of our “Give Blood” project so that together we can continue to help!