TEHRAN – In the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 20, some 2.223 million blood donations were registered across the country, an increase of 9.3 percent compared to the year before.

North Khorasan, with an increase of 34 percent, took first place in the growth of blood donation in the country.

Ilam province, with an increase of more than 25 percent, and Lorestan, with an increase of more than 23 percent, took the second and third places in the growth of blood donation, the Blood Transfusion Organization spokesman Bashir Hajibeigi said.

By registering 369,523 donations, Tehran province has the highest amount of blood donation in the country.

Donors who successfully donate blood twice or more within 12 months are considered continuous donors.

Iran is among the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region as a reference in the field of blood donation activities.

While blood donation in 70 countries still depends on replacement or paid donors, Iran is the first country in the region that has enjoyed voluntary blood donation by 100 percent since 2007.

More than 85 percent of all donated blood worldwide is used to produce blood products, while the rate is 65 percent in Eastern Mediterranean countries. Iran ranks among the highest-income countries in terms of converting more than 97 percent of the blood donated by people to plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMP).

Only 55 of 171 countries produce PDMP through the fractionation of plasma collected in the reporting country. A total of 90 countries reported that all PDMPs are imported, 16 countries reported that no PDMP was used during the reporting period, and 10 countries did not respond to the question, according to WHO.

Iran currently has the highest blood donation rate in the Eastern Mediterranean region, so out of 9.9 million blood donation units in this region, more than two million belongs to Iran.

Also, the index of blood donation is 25 per 1,000 populations, while in the member states of the Eastern Mediterranean region, this number is 14.9 per 1000.

There are currently 178 blood donation centers in the country, with Fars, Khorasan Razavi, Khuzestan, Tehran, and Mazandaran provinces having the largest number of blood donation centers, he stated.

World Blood Donor Day takes place on 14 June each year. The day provides an opportunity to call to action governments and health authorities to provide adequate resources to increase the collection of blood from voluntary, unpaid blood donors and to manage access to blood and the transfusion of those who require it.

MG