The World Health Organization says the world is making slow progress towards the goal of 100% unpaid, voluntary blood donation, falling short of ensuring the safety and the sustainability of blood supplies. However, some countries such as China have shown progress in the last two years by applying stricter principles within their AIDS prevention programs.
The WHO survey shows that out of the 124 countries that provided data to WHO, 56 saw an increase in unpaid voluntary donation. The remaining 68 have either made no progress or have seen a decline in the number of unpaid voluntary donors. Of the 124 countries, 49 have reached 100% unpaid voluntary blood donation. Out of those 49, only 17 are developing countries.
In China, government figures show that all donated blood in 2005 was tested for the four infections. In the area of blood donation, China has seen a rise of unpaid voluntary donors from 22% in 1998 to 94.5% in 2005. China's progress is due particularly to its reduction of commercial blood and plasma, thus minimizing the practice of unregulated blood collection and provision throughout the country while also strengthening HIV prevention.
The World Health Organization introduced the 100% unpaid, voluntary blood donation policy in 1997. World Blood Donor Day, an annual event on June 14, is a day to help governments reach that target by creating awareness of the need for sustainable supplies of safe blood. It is also a day to thank existing blood donors for the remarkable gift they make to those whose lives they have improved or saved, and to encourage new donors to commit.
World Blood Donor Day was established at the 58th World Health Assembly in May 2005 by WHO's 192 Member States, to urge all countries in the world to thank blood donors, promote voluntary, unpaid blood donations and ensure safe supplies of blood for all.
