(ANSA) – ROME, JUNE 12 – Of the 118.5 million blood donations collected every year in the world, 40% are collected in high-income countries, which however host only 16% of the population. This is indicated by the World Health Organization which, in view of World Blood Donor Day on 14 June, launches an appeal: “donate blood, donate plasma, share life, share often”.
The blood donation rate is 31.5 donations per 1000 people in high-income countries, 16.4 donations in upper-middle-income countries, 6.6 in lower-middle-income countries and 5 in low-income countries . The differences don’t stop there: only 56 out of 171 countries produce medicines derived from plasma, such as immunoglobulins, coagulation factors and albumin. The recipients of donations also change: in the poorest countries up to 54% of blood transfusions are given to children under the age of 5; while in high-income countries, 76% of transfusions are for people over the age of 60.
From 2008 to 2018, an increase of 10.7 million blood donations was reported by unpaid voluntary donors but in many countries it is still an activity that requires economic remuneration. In 2018, 73% of reporting states, or 125 out of 171, had a national policy on blood donations and 66%, or 113 out of 171, had specific legislation on the safety and quality of transfusions.
The goals of World Blood Day, WHO recalls, are “to celebrate and thank the people who donate blood and encourage more people to become new donors”. The awareness campaign this year focuses on patients needing lifelong transfusion support and highlights “the role that every single person can play”. Just as he recalls the importance of “donating regularly to create a safe and sustainable supply of blood and blood products”. (HANDLE).
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