WHO calls for more blood donations worldwide

Seventy-seven countries do not have a blood donation rate high enough to meet "the basic needs for blood transfusions," the Associated Press reports. The WHO released new global data on blood donation for World Blood Donor Day on June 14. "[H]alf of the global blood donations are collected in developed nations, home to only 16 percent of the world's population," according to the AP (6/11).

CBC News reports that "one percent of a country's population needs to give blood to meet basic transfusion needs" (6/11). According to a WHO press release, the aim of this year's World Blood Donor Day is "to raise awareness of the role young people play in maintaining supplies of safe blood." Neelam Dhingra, coordinator of Blood Transfusion Safety at WHO, said, "Young people are the hope and future of a safe blood supply in the world. ... We are confident more countries can achieve 100 percent voluntary unpaid blood donation if they focus efforts on engaging young people" (6/14).