TEHRAN – Iranians have donated blood 23 percent more since the beginning of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21), compared to the same period last year, Health Minister Bahram Einollahi said on Saturday.

Annually, some 2.5 million people refer to blood donation centers nationwide, of whom 2.1 million donate blood, IRIB quoted the minister as saying.

The coronavirus pandemic has decreased blood donation in the world by 25-30 percent, but the figure has just been 8 percent in Iran, he noted.

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 out of 9.9 million blood donation units in this region, more than two million belong 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.

MG