World Blood Donor Day, celebrated on June 14th, is an annual event to honour and appreciate blood donors worldwide. This event is crucial in ensuring a steady supply of blood for medical crises and treatment. For instance, during the COVID-19 crisis, blood donation campaigns were held to help recover people from the disease. The day also encourages those who are hesitant or nervous about giving their blood to appreciate their efforts and kindness. In this article, we will talk about what the theme of World Blood Donor Day 2024 is, why to celebrate, how NGOs are involved, why to celebrate, how to celebrate and what is the history of World Blood Donor Day 2024.
Table of Contents
What is World Blood Donar Day 2024?
This day is dedicated to expressing gratitude and appreciation to those who donate blood. It aims to raise awareness about the benefits of blood donation, dispel myths about diseases and infections, and encourage consistent blood donation. Blood donation is crucial for the healthcare system, saving lives in countries like India, Austria, France, and Greece, where people willingly donate without compensation.
Many campaigns, educational events, blood donation drives, public awareness programmes, recognition ceremonies etc are held for regular donors to keep people motivated and uplift their gratitude towards blood donation. Due to these campaigns and events organised, the broad motive behind this campaign is to create awareness among people to understand how safe and healthy the process of donating blood is and hence, it will not impact your health
World Blood Donar Day 2024 Theme
Every year the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights some theme which has a deep meaning. Like this year, WHO has kept a theme which is 20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors! With this theme, the World Health Organization wants to say thank you to all the people who donated blood without any compensation and kept humanity alive today. Thank you to the human being who donated blood and because of donating his blood, that human being is alive today who lost his blood in accidents, surgeries, cancer treatment and blood disorders. Just like we have donated blood for the last 20 years, we should keep donating blood in the future and motivate the next generation to donate blood.
Why celebrate World Blood Donor Day?
There are many reasons to celebrate such an auspicious day and some reasons are listed below:-
1. Raise Awareness:
We celebrate this day so that people know how valuable it is to contribute their precious blood and how many lives can be rescued because of it.It is very important to build an empire of awareness so that people come willingly and donate blood.
2. Esteeming the Donors:
Through this day we can be obliged to all the donors who have donated blood and acknowledge their kindness and efforts which can prove a missile for future generations that some blood is equal to many lives healed.
3. Strengthen Brand New Donors:
Many people do not know that there is a blood donation campaign. Organisations can reach people and make them aware through social media or by campaigning so that they can support us in the journey of blood donation.
How to celebrate World Blood Donor Day?
Some points are mentioned below on how we can contribute our efforts:-
1. Donate Blood:
The easiest way to accelerate blood donation is to donate blood and take your family and friends along to the nearby centre or local blood drive, to amplify the impact
2. Spread the Camp:
You can make people aware through social media platforms, you can post stories of experiences, upcoming campaigns, and any facts about blood donation and can promote hashtags like #WorldBloodDonorDay to encourage people to donate blood.
3. Attend Event:
Attending all the events like campaigns, webinars and seminars so that people can get knowledge. Helping the donor by giving refreshments, helping in registration, giving certificates, giving small gifts etc. so that their efforts get valued.
How are NGOs involved?
Non-governmental organisations play a very important role in social activities. Due to this many people get awareness and do it voluntarily. Some of the main reasons are given below for how a NGO contribute:-
1. Organising Blood Drives: NGOs organise blood drives in collaboration with local hospitals, clinics, communities etc. with the plan so that there is no problem in the middle of the drive. This drive is set up in such areas where people can easily contribute their blood.
2. Raising Awareness: The primary objective of an NGO is to increase awareness about the event through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter Youtube, etc. On this platform share stories, posts, tweets or videos from the event, give a glimpse about the campaign etc.
3. Partnering with Health Organizations: Partnering with a health organisation like the World Health Organization(WHO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies ( IFRC) to increase reach or audiences by organising drives, campaigns, seminars, etc. This partnership is beneficial because the NGOs get to work with WHO and the network of NGOs can boost the network to a wider audience.
Conclusion
World Blood Donor Day is an auspicious day in which the contribution of all blood donors is recognized and others are encouraged to donate. We can conclude this day as a life-saving day because no matter how much blood is donated on this day, it will help in saving someone’s life. NGOs can play a big role by increasing awareness, supporting health organisations by contributing their resources like volunteers etc, and organising or participating in blood donation drives, campaigns and events. Let’s continue to support and contribute our efforts to amplify the cause!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is donating blood safe?
Yes, it is safe. uninfected needles and sanitised gloves which are disposable are used for every blood donor and the process is conducted by trained professionals for safety.
How often can I donate blood?
You can donate whole blood after 56 days, which includes platelets 24 times a year, and plasma every 28 days. You can donate whole blood 6 times per year.
Can I donate blood if I have a tattoo?
If you have a tattoo or body piercing then donate blood after 6 months from the date of the procedure.
What should eat and what should not before donating blood?
Before donating blood, drink plenty of water, vitamin-c food or beverages, eat iron-rich food such as eggs, fish, beans etc and avoid fried food, ice creams and any other junk food. You should not donate blood on an empty stomach.
What happens to the blood after it is donated?
After the blood donation, blood is separated into 3 components such as plasma, Red Blood Cells (RBC) and platelets and after that, it is distributed to hospitals or clinics for medical use.
