WHO highlights the fact that transfusion of blood and blood products helps save millions of lives every year. It can help patients with life-threatening conditions to live longer and with higher quality of life, and it supports complex medical and surgical procedures. It also has an essential, life-saving role in maternal and child care and during man-made and natural disasters.
“I urge all countries to continue to work hard to achieve 100% voluntary donation in our Region. Functional and effective blood transfusion services are a vital component of any national health system, and their contribution to reducing mortality rates have been well documented,” said Dr Maria Cristina Profili WHO Representative to Jordan in a speech delivered in this occasion.
Dr Profili also thanked all Jordanian voluntary blood donors and added that “Together, we should continue to support activities through active participation in blood donation campaigns and implementation of proven strategies to increase the number of units of safe blood collected”.
WHO has set a goal for all countries to obtain all their blood supplies from voluntary unpaid donors by 2020. In order to achieve that goal and ensure a sustainable and safe blood supply, there is a need to recruit and retain as many young blood donors as possible.
