World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on 14 June every year. On that day, countries all around the world express their appreciation for blood donors, whose generous gift of blood have saved the lives of millions of people they have never met. It is a precious gift indeed as the donated red blood cells help to carry sufficient oxygen to critical tissues during anaemia or blood loss while the derived platelets and plasma help to prevent uncontrolled bleeding in selected situations. Yet, the global need for blood transfusion is far greater than the current available supply. This situation is most acutely felt in developing countries, which have 82% of the world’s population, but which only collect 38% of the world’s blood units.
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