It’s World Blood Donor Day.

Every year countries around the world, including Canada, celebrate and use the day to encourage people to roll up their sleeves. The event raises awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

A blood service that gives patients access to safe blood and blood products in sufficient quantity is a key component of an effective health system. The global theme of World Blood Donor Day changes each year in recognition of the selfless individuals who donate their blood for people unknown to them. This year’s slogan is “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often.” It focuses on patients requiring life-long transfusion support and underlines the role every single person can play, by giving the valuable gift of blood or plasma. It also highlights the importance of giving blood or plasma regularly to create a safe and sustainable supply of blood and blood products that can be always available, all over the world, so that all patients in need can receive timely treatment.

The objectives are to:

• celebrate and thank individuals who donate blood and encourage more people to become new donors;
• encourage people in good health to donate blood regularly, as often as is safe and possible, to transform the quality of life for transfusion dependent patients and help to build a secure blood supply in all countries in the world;  
• highlight the critical roles of voluntary non-remunerated regular blood and plasma donations in achieving universal access to safe blood products for all populations; and
• mobilize support at national, regional and global levels among governments and development partners to invest in, strengthen and sustain national blood programmes.

NTV’s Marykate O’Neill is covering the story and will have more on the NTV Evening Newshour.