On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day on June 14, the World Health Organization says China has made progress in tackling contamination from unsafe blood by reaching close to 100% voluntary blood donation.

"Access to safe blood is a key component of effective health care and voluntary donors are the cornerstone of a safe blood supply," said Carissa Etienne, assistant director-general for health systems at WHO. "Available, safe blood is particularly crucial to the health of women and children."

Compared to 1998, when systems of paid donations or donations from family members made up 80% of its blood supplies, China has achieved 98.5% voluntary donations in just 10 years. WHO's most recent figures on blood donation show that only 54 countries globally have achieved 100% voluntary donation, including, most recently, Thailand, Turkey and Uganda.

"Thanks to the strong commitment of the government and extensive national and local campaigns, a huge shift occurred in the way Chinese people think about blood donation," said Peter Carolan, senior officer at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. "That shift became even more apparent last month, when thousands of people queued up all over the country to give blood to help the Sichuan earthquake victims."

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