TEHRAN – A total of 1,435,183 Iranians donated blood in the first seven months of the current Iranian year, which started on March 21, according to an official with the Blood Transfusion Organization.

The highest blood donation growth was recorded in the provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan, Zanjan, and Fars, respectively, IRNA quoted Shahram Mirzaei as saying.

Women’s share of blood donation in the country is around five percent, Mirzaei noted. North Khorasan and Lorestan (more than nine percent), Qazvin (eight percent), Kermanshah, and Ilam provinces (over 7 percent) had the highest blood donation by women.

Tehran province accounted for more than 16 percent of the total blood donation in the same period. Some 221,406 blood units were donated in Tehran during the same period.

Fars and Khorasan Razavi provinces donated respectively eight percent and seven percent of the total blood donation in seven months.

The official went on to say that over the past seven months, the continuous blood donation growth rate in the country has increased to over 55 percent. The provinces of Semnan (around 68 percent), Golestan (about 66 percent), and Qom (over 65 percent) hold the highest rates for continuous blood donation, respectively.

Blood group O+ was the most common, accounting for more than 34 percent of donors.

AB negative, the rarest blood type, with less than one percent of people having it, accounts for the lowest amount of blood received from donors.

WHO lauds IBTO’s achievements

In January, the World Health Organization representative, Jaffar Hussain, admired the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization’s (IBTO) leadership in blood safety and transfusion services, and highlighted their remarkable achievement of a 100 percent voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation system, a testament to the principles of universal health coverage in action.

He also thanked the blood donors, whose selflessness serves as an inspiration to all.

Admiring the IBTO’s efforts and expertise in providing services to patients with rare blood types, the official underscored Iran’s capacity to serve as a model for other nations in the realm of blood transfusion and rare blood management.

Addressing National Rare Blood Day on January 22, the official praised the country’s steadfast commitment to equitable healthcare access, ensuring that no one is left behind, regardless of their blood type.

The official commended the country’s unwavering dedication to tackling the unique challenges surrounding rare blood, emphasizing the critical importance of collaboration, innovation, and unwavering determination in this global endeavor, the WHO website announced in a press release on January 27.

He lauded the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization’s (IBTO) leadership in blood safety and transfusion services, highlighting their remarkable achievement of a 100 percent voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation system, a testament to the principles of universal health coverage in action. He also thanked the blood donors, whose selflessness serves as an inspiration to all.