KARACHI, June 13: Like elsewhere across the globe, the World Blood Donor Day is being observed in the city as well on June 14 to promote the culture of voluntary blood donations.

Various health care institutions and non-governmental organisations have announced that they would hold meetings and seminars and set up voluntary blood donation camps in parts of the city with the aim of expressing their gratitude towards those who donate blood voluntarily to help the ailing humanity.

The Blood Donor Day is celebrated under a World Health Assembly resolution of 2005 which recognised that voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors who donate blood regularly were integral to a safe, adequate and sustainable blood supply. This year’s theme for the day is “Giving blood regularly.”According to conservative estimates, Pakistan needs about 3.2 million blood units every year, but only half of the required quantity is being managed through exchange blood donors, commercial donors and voluntary donors.

Experts are of the view that the culture of blood donation and safe transfusion practice can only be promoted effectively when the attitudes, beliefs and level of knowledge associated with blood donation and transfusions are properly addressed.

They said that the development of essential facilities in the public sector and proper checks on unauthorized commercial blood banks could not only ensure safe, organised and judicious transfusion of blood, but it would also boost the trend of voluntary blood donations.

They suggested that institutions should also be made responsible for timely processing and screening of blood and in getting various components separated from one donated blood unit. The number of voluntary donors could be increased only by giving the right message and sensitizing them on the issue.

According to a senior blood bank organizer, about 1.3 to 1.5 million blood units – half of the country’s needs – were made available in a year, out of which 80-82 per cent came from exchange or replacement blood donors including family members and friends, 11-13 per cent from commercial donors and only three to five per cent from voluntary donors.

According to workers in various blood collection organisations, there is a need for creating awareness about blood donation at educational institutions and introduction of new chapters on safe blood in medical education. They said that adequate measures should be taken for the removal of misconceptions and fears regarding blood donation and incentives should be offered to donors to motivate people to donate blood. They were also of the view that a ban should be imposed on illegal or substandard blood banks

Internationally, it is felt that there is still a great need for blood usage in the treatment of complications during pregnancy and childbirth and severe childhood anaemia.

As the overwhelming majority of the world’s population does not have access to safe blood, the challenges ahead could only be met through the introduction of national blood programmes aimed at voluntary donations.

Over 80 million units of blood are donated every year, but only 38 per cent are collected in the developing countries, where around 82 per cent of the global population lives.

Dr Syed Abdul Mujeeb of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, said that blood donors across the globe were the saviours of mankind.

He said that there was a huge potential for voluntary blood donation as the country had an estimated 70 million people in the age group of 18 to 60 years – the blood donation age – but the challenge was to motivate and organise these donors.

Among its population, Pakistan has 50,000 children suffering from thalassaemia; they require 1.2 million units of blood a year to survive. On the other hand, around four million women get pregnant; 20 per cent of them are anaemic and may require around 800,000 units of blood to survive, in addition to other severely ailing segments of the population seeking surgeries and those who get hurt in accidents and disasters.

He said that the World Blood Donor Day 2008 could be taken as a wake-up call to start a national programme for voluntary blood donation.

Dr Salman Adil of the Aga Khan University said that the situation could only be only overcome by having voluntary and unpaid donors who could donate blood on a regular basis.

“Blood donation may also save a donor’s life as a disease or infection can be detected in him during the screening process. Many people have been diagnosed with hepatitis and other diseases in the process,” he added.

According to Dr Bushra Moiz of the AKU, a person at least 18 years old, weighing a minimum of 50kg and having good basic health can become a blood donor.

Blood donation does not affect the normal human body, which contained five litres of blood, she said, adding that a single blood donation meant giving out only around half a litre, which was regained after some adjustment of fluids in the body within a short span of time.