World Blood Donor Day 2024: Theme, Facts, Significance, History

Every year 14 June is observed as World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) with the aim to raise awareness of safe blood and blood products. The day also appreciates all the voluntary blood donors who give others the precious gift of life-saving blood. World Blood Donor Day is one of 11 official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The first World Blood Donor Day was observed in 2005 and was launched by World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as a collective approach. It marks the anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian biologist, physician, and immunologist who discovered different blood groups in 1900.

World Blood Donor Day 2024 Date

Check below date of World Blood Donor Day in 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027:

World Blood Donor Day 2024 Overview

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Did You Know?

1. Around 38000 people require blood donations every day, due to some disease or accident.
2. In the US, blood donation is required every 2 seconds.
3. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to donate blood but it can give someone a lifetime.
4. 1 out of every 7 people entering a hospital is in need of blood.
5. Karl Landsteiner first identified the major human blood groups – A, B, AB and O – in 1901.
6. The shelf life of red blood cells is 42 days, five days for platelets and one year for frozen plasma.
7. If all those who can give blood donated three times a year, there will be no blood shortages.
8. It takes about 90 minutes to donate blood platelets.
9. One should wait at least 56 days between whole blood donations.
10. Blood donors are volunteers and are not paid for their act which makes it a very noble act.

Significance of World Blood Donor Day

Blood donation can save thousands of life every day and provide a chance at life to someone who is in dire need of blood transfusion. To draw the attention of people worldwide towards the importance of blood donation, it was decided that every year June 14 will be observed as World Blood Donor Day. The day also aims at strengthening and expanding voluntary blood donor programs by reinforcing national and local campaigns.

World Blood Donor Day History

The first World Blood Donor Day was observed at the 58^th World Health Assembly on June 14 2005 in the honor of Karl Landsteiner who discovered the blood group system. Landsteiner was awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery. Since then, every year June 14 is observed as World Blood Donor Day that also honors the millions of volunteers who save lives every day by donating their precious blood.

Also check Father’s Day

World Blood Donor Day 2024 Theme

The theme for World Blood Donor Day 2022 was ‘Blood donation is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives‘ and the event was hosted by through its National Blood Centre.

For the year 2023, the theme of World Blood Donor Day was “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often”.

2024 Theme: Yet to be announced

Celebration of World Blood Donor Day 2024

World Blood Donor Day is celebrated and observed in countries all over the world. Organization, government or otherwise, releases campaign to familiarize people with the importance of safe blood donation, and the need of donating blood. Schools, institutions, and workplaces set up blood drives and people participate actively in these drives. Posters, banners and flyers are created and different blood donation camps are set up to encourage people more and more towards blood donation.

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