TEHRAN – The Blood Transfusion Organization and the High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine were selected for the third time as a partner center of the World Health Organization (WHO).

With the successful and complete implementation of the activities of the second period of the WHO Cooperative Center in the field of blood health education and research, the Blood Transfusion Organization and the High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine were selected as partner centers from September 2021 to September 2025.

During the third period of membership, the two partner centers cooperate with the WHO by holding a workshop on centralization and management of blood transfusion centers, a workshop on optimal use of plasma for refining, and conducting two research projects on blood donor management and assessing the health and adequacy of blood in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Moreover, they will help implement the World Health Organization strategies on blood health and adequacy in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Also, the first membership period was from 2013-2017 and the second membership period started from 2017 to 2021.

During these courses, the partner centers succeeded in holding seven training workshops and an international seminar and conducting a research project to review the status and trends of 10 years of health and blood adequacy in the region.

Over 2.1m Iranians donate blood per year

Blood donation in Iran has long been done voluntarily as over 2.1 million Iranians donate blood annually, Haji-Beigi said on June 14.

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.

Highest blood donation in Eastern Mediterranean

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 PDMP 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 that 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.

FB/MG