TEHRAN –Each year countries around the world unite on June 14 to celebrate World Blood Donor Day as a reminder of the crucial role blood donors play in saving lives and improving health outcomes.

The event raises awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and extends gratitude to voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

Established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2004, the day calls for action, motivating more individuals to join the global movement of safe blood donation.

This year’s theme is “20 Years of Celebrating Giving: Thank You Blood Donors!”, selected to commemorate the milestone of the 20th anniversary and the profound impact of blood donation on the lives of patients and donors.

Blood donation in Iran

The average blood donation rate in Iran is 26 per thousand people which places the country in a good situation among other countries.

According to the World Health Organization, the median blood donation rate in high-income countries is 31.5 donations per 1000 people. This compares with 16.4 donations per 1000 people in upper-middle-income countries, 6.6 donations per 1000 people in lower-middle-income countries, and 5.0 donations per 1000 people in low-income countries.

Of the 118.5 million blood donations collected globally, 40 percent of these are collected in high-income countries, home to 16 percent of the world’s population.

In low-income countries, up to 54  percent of blood transfusions are given to children under 5 years of age; whereas in high-income countries, the most frequently transfused patient group is over 60 years of age, accounting for up to 76 percent of all transfusions.

Based on samples of 1000 people, the blood donation rate is 31.5 donations in high-income countries, 16.4 donations in upper-middle-income countries, 6.6 donations in lower-middle-income countries, and 5.0 donations in low-income countries.

In the past Iranian calendar year, which ended on March 19, some 2.223 million blood donations were registered across the country, an increase of 9.3 percent compared to the year before.

Last year, the blood donation rate reached 27 per thousand people. The highest rate was recorded in Mazandaran province with over 40,000 people donating blood. Semnan province, over 39,000, and Yazd province ranked second and third.

Women’s share of blood donation was equal to four percent. A total of 102,907 women donated blood which had increased compared to the previous year. However, women are expected to get more involved in blood donation.

The overall blood donation rate was over 54 percent in the country last year with Semnan (69 percent), Yazd (64 percent), and Qom (63 percent) provinces ranking the highest.