Malawi to join the world in commemorating the 2023 world blood donor day
Malawi will join the rest of the world in commemorating the World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) on 14 June 2023. The commemorations will be coordinated by the Ministry of Health (MoH), Malawi Blood Transfusion Service (MBTS), Blood Donor Association of Malawi (BDAM) and the World Health Organization (WHO) under the theme: “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often”.
The WBDD was designated as an annual event to be commemorated on 14th June by the ministers of health for WHO Member States at the World Health Assembly in 2005 and is globally coordinated by four founding partners: the WHO, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCRCS), the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations (IFBDO) and the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). The purpose of the commemoration is to recognize and honour the people who donate blood voluntarily without expecting any payment in return for the blood they give.
According to the WHO statement: “The day provides a special opportunity to celebrate and thank voluntary blood donors around the world for their gift of blood and has become a major focus for action towards achieving universal access to safe blood transfusion.”
This year’s theme emphasizes on the importance of donating blood and blood products regularly, as such, WHO urges all donors and all people who are eligible, to donate blood and blood components frequently to save the lives of the people that are in need.
The statement states that “Access to a secure blood supply based on the voluntary unpaid donation is vital for all patients including many requiring life-long and regular transfusions for conditions such as sickle-cell anaemia and thalassaemia. Voluntary unpaid plasma donation also plays an important part in supporting patients with a wide range of long-term conditions such as haemophilia and immune deficiencies.”
Currently, in Malawi, voluntary blood donation is failing to meet the required target of 120,000 units of blood per year. Hence, this impedes universal access to safe blood and blood products by those in need of transfusion. Therefore, MBTS is appealing to all Malawians and stakeholders to recognise the critical role that voluntary non-remunerated blood donations plays in supporting patients in need of transfusions.
Malawi will commemorate the day on 17th June 2023 in four districts: Blantyre at Blantyre Sports Club, Balaka at Makolo Grardens, Lilongwe at Civo Stadium and Mzuzu at Mzuzu Upper Stadium.
For More Information Contact: Janet Katonda, MBTS Marketing and Public Relations Manager on 0888 719 308 katondaj@mbtsmalawi.com :mbtsinfo@mbtsmalawi.com.