TEHRAN –Blood donation in Iran has increased by more than five percent in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year which started on March 20, compared to the same period last year.

A total of 1,768,000 blood units were donated over the mentioned period, Bashir Haji-Beigi, the Blood Transfusion Organization spokesman said on Wednesday.

He went on to say that the highest blood donation growth was recorded in the provinces of  Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad (37 percent), Sistan–Baluchestan (almost 17 percent), and Kermanshah (over 14 percent), the health ministry website reported.

The official went on to say that over 15 percent of the donors were first-time blood donors.

In the same period, the continuous blood donation growth rate in the country increased to over 55 percent, showing a two-percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The official noted that the provinces of Semnan, Yazd, and Qom hold the highest rates with 67 percent, 66 percent, and around 65 percent, respectively.

Referring to women's share of blood donation in the country, which is currently less than five percent, he said North Khorasan (almost 9 percent), Lorestan (about 8 percent), and Sistan-Baluchestan (over 7 percent) had the highest blood donation by women.

4.7% rise in blood donation yr/ yr

A total of 2,327,997 Iranians donated blood over the past Iranian calendar year (March 2023-March 2024), an increase of 4.7 percent compared to the year earlier. 

Tehran and Fars provinces made the largest contributions accounting for more than 16 percent and more than 7 percent of the total blood donation, respectively, IRNA quoted  Haji-Beigi as saying.

Last year, the highest growth in blood donation was recorded in the province of Lorestan with 22 percent, followed by North Khorasan with 16 percent, and Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad with approximately 13 percent.

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.

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.

Women in Lorestan province, nine percent, had the highest contribution followed by North Khorasan, almost eight percent, and Sistan-Baluchestan, over seven percent.

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.

MT/MG