On World Blood Donor Day, June 14, the need for a safe and available blood supply is recognized not only in the U.S. but across the world. No matter where one lives, a comprehensive plan for available blood and blood components must be addressed and developed. Events like earthquakes and wars, pregnancy and childbirth demand the consideration of blood. Blood transfusions are a lifesaving medical treatment.
In the U.S., the availability of blood during and after the pandemic has been constrained, necessitating blood centers to consider innovative ways of moving the needle from the current three percent of eligible donors who donate to higher levels. Approximately 60% of our population is eligible to donate but only three percent of these do so. It continues to be very difficult not only for Vitalant but for other blood centers that continually must go to the media for help in encouraging community members to donate. In fact, at the beginning of the pandemic when people were encouraged to stay home, it took a message from the U.S. Surgeon General to declare that blood donors were considered essential to get people back to rolling up their sleeves to save lives. There is no artificial substitute for blood and blood is perishable with an expiration date, making constant replenishment critical.
The World Health Organization, founded in 1948, is a United Nations agency with a mission to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. WHO supports global public health campaigns to raise awareness and provide education for such issues as malaria, tuberculosis, immunizations, tobacco, and the critical need of a safe and available blood supply. It was because of that need that World Blood Donor Day came into being on June 14, 2004, chosen because it was the birthday anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930 for his discovery of the ABO blood group system.
In a report released in 2020, WHO presented an action framework for improving international efforts to ensure access to safe blood products worldwide. The proposed six strategic efforts incorporate developing national blood systems where needed; regulatory controls (standards and quality assessment); blood services operations; patient blood management programs; hemovigilance accompanied by accurate data collection; and building partnerships, collaboration and information exchange that jointly address challenges and emerging threats at global, regional, and national levels. It is a formidable mountain to climb!
Blood transfusions are critical to improving child mortality and maternal health. For those with inherited disorders such as hemophilia, thalassemia, and immune deficiency and those with acquired conditions like cancer or traumatic injuries, blood transfusions improve life expectancy and quality of life. Finally, blood transfusions support medical and surgical procedures that, if unavailable, may lead to death.
Vitalant (formerly BloodSource) has long advocated for safe and available blood for everyone. In Sacramento, Vitalant historically worked with partners such as Global Healing, Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rotary International, and the United States Agency for International Development to advance blood safety and international blood banking standards through education, proven processes, and quality measures.
These efforts influenced collection, transportation, testing and distribution of blood as part of programs like the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. In places with few resources, the collection and transportation of blood, blood components or plasma-derived medicines to remote regions such as in sub-Saharan Africa, demands resources that are simply not available.
“So much of what we do nowadays in support of transfusion-requiring patients depends increasingly upon evidence-based data and peer-acquired experiences shared across international borders,” said Christopher Gresens, M.D., Vitalant medical and laboratory director, west division. “Similarly, our need to support patients coming from ever more diverse backgrounds demands that we reach out to blood donors coming from communities that for far too long have been underserved and under-appreciated. We are delighted to work in this environment in service to anyone and everyone — most especially our patients — who may benefit from these efforts.”
The Vitalant Research Institute (VRI) is dedicated to advancing blood safety worldwide through scientific research, education, and the promotion of evidence-based policies. From its inception 65 years ago to today, VRI has built a world-renowned reputation for innovations in a variety of fields, from infectious disease risks to the blood supply, to blood donor epidemiology, to virus discovery, to understanding the immune response to transfusion, among others.
VRI collaborates with many organizations to broaden and deepen the impact of its research nationally and globally, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, University of Sao Paulo in Brazil and the University of California, San Francisco, to name just a few.
WHO provides the following estimates for blood collected worldwide:
40% occur in resource-rich countries, home to 16% of the world’s population.
79 countries collect over 90% of their blood supply from voluntary, non-remunerated (non-paid) blood donors and 54 countries collect more than 50% of their blood supply from family/replacement or paid donors.
In higher-income countries, patients over 60 years old receive the most blood transfusions (76%) and in low-income countries, 54% of blood transfusions are given to children under five years old.
This World Blood Donor Day, take time to reflect on the good that blood donation accomplishes and make an appointment to impact the world where you live, work, and play — for good. You will help someone who likely never expected to need a blood transfusion or perhaps someone who relies on blood transfusions to live a more normal and productive life despite living with a rare disease.
Commit to donating blood regularly and become an ambassador for changing the world, one donation at a time. If you are unable to donate, consider encouraging others, hosting a blood drive, or volunteering. Because of you, life doesn’t stop. Donate blood. Visit Vitalant.org or call (877) 258-4825.
SSVMS founded the blood bank in 1948 and enjoys a close community partnership with Vitalant and shares its mission of promoting the health of our community.
