Phlebotomists of the world will have plenty of work to do on June 14 – this is World Blood Donor Day, a day celebrated each year to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products. This day also exists to build a worldwide culture of voluntary blood donation and thank those unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. In addition, World Blood Donor Day serves as a springboard for longer-term donor education programs and campaigns to strengthen blood transfusion services.
This year celebrates the 10th anniversary of World Blood Donor Day and focuses on the huge value of donated blood to patients. Millions of lives are saved each year by the transfusion of blood and blood products. Blood transfusions help patients who are suffering from life-threatening conditions live longer with a higher quality of life.
The slogan of World Blood Donor Day is “Give the gift of life: donate blood.” The objective – in addition to thanking blood donors for their life-saving donations and promoting voluntary and unpaid blood donation – is to urge governments throughout the world to commit to achieving self-sufficiency in safe blood and blood products.
World Blood Donor Day is sponsored by four core agencies that work together to promote voluntary blood donation, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations, and the International Society of Blood Transfusion.
Considering getting started in the rewarding field of Phlebotomy? Contact Arizona College to connect with an Admissions representative and learn more about starting a career as a Phlebotomist.
Information in this blog post is accurate as of June 7, 2013.