World Blood Donor Day 2018 is organized by the World Health Organization for countries around the world to celebrate and thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving help.
The day also helps raise awareness of the importance of regular blood donations for those in need.
Every few seconds, someone somewhere in the world needs blood. Blood transfusions and blood products help save millions of lives every year, and can help patients suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer and with a higher quality of life.
Blood transfusion is needed for women with complications of pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancies and hemorrhage before, during or after childbirth, children with severe anaemia, often a result of malaria or malnutrition, people with severe trauma following manmade and natural disasters, cancer patients, and for regular transfusions for people with conditions such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease.
Blood is also used to make products such as clotting factors for people with hemophilia.
As blood can be stored for only a limited time before use, regular blood donations from healthy people are needed to ensure that safe blood is always available.
