World Blood Donor Day is celebrated every year on June 14 to bring awareness to about blood donation, since its initiation in 2005. The occasion is one of eight worldwide donation driven by the World Health Organization (WHO) and serves to “thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.”
World Blood Donor Day likewise intends to bring awareness with respect to the requirement for regular blood donations to “ensure that all individuals and communities have access to affordable and timely supplies of safe and quality-assured blood and blood products, as an integral part of universal health coverage and a key component of effective health systems.”
The host nation for World Blood Donor Day 2019 is Rwanda.
In recognition of blood transfusion sparing a great many lives each year, in May 2005, ministers of health from over the world made a consistent affirmation of responsibility and backing towards willful blood donation during the Fifty-Eighth World Health Assembly and assigned World Blood Donor Day as a yearly occasion to be hung on June 14.
A goals passed on the occassion encouraged Member States to implement, and bolster efficient, broadly organized and supportable blood programs with fitting administrative oversight. In 2009, specialists in transfusion medicine, arrangement producers and nongovernmental agents from 40 nations planned the Melbourne Declaration, setting up a goal for all countries to obtain all their blood supplies from voluntary unpaid donors by 2020, according to the WHO.
The theme for World Blood Day 2019 is “Safe blood for all” and the campaign will raise awareness about the “universal need for safe blood in the delivery of health care and the crucial roles that voluntary donations play in achieving the goal of universal health coverage.”
On World Blood Donor Day, which is observed each year on June 14, Dr Ainy Choonia, Head of Blood Bank, Saifee Hospital, shares a couple of significant tips for donors to keep in mind. The theme for this year’s campaign is “Safe blood for all”.
*Check your eligibility: It is imperative to ensure that you match the donation eligibility criteria.
*a donor must be between 18-65 years of age with a minimum weight of 45 kilograms and normal body temperature.
*The hemoglobin level of the body is likewise a significant factor to guarantee eligibility. The perfect hemoglobin level to have the option to give blood ought to be more than 12.5 grams. It is checked by utilizing a finger stick, preceding donating.
*People suffering HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B/C, Syphilis and illnesses that are equipped for being transmitted through blood transfusion can’t give blood, while the individuals who have a tattoo need to sit tight for at any rate a year to do likewise.
*Blood donation should be possible just once in 3 months.
*People who have had a history of malaria in the past 12 months should refrain from donating blood as the malaria causing parasite can lie dormant in the body for as long as a year.
*Diet and nutrition
The golden rule is to not give blood on an unfilled stomach. A healthy and nutritious feast must be devoured in any event a few hours before donation, with the goal that it can process appropriately and can help in balancing out your blood sugar levels.Donating blood on an empty stomach may make you feel nauseous or uneasy post donation. Also, avoid being on a strict diet, especially if you are a regular donor.
*Rest and hydrate well
It has been seen that the essential cause of dizziness and fatigue subsequent to giving blood has been absence of rest and hydration, which results in a drop in blood pressure. Therefore, it is essential to rest well, along with consuming plenty of water or juice (at least 2—3 glasses) before the blood donation process to keep the blood pressure stable.
*Inform of your medication
One must make it a point to bring a list of the medicines consumed on the day of donating blood. It is important for the healthcare/medical provider to know of the same, as individuals taking certain skin break out drug, blood thinners, and antiplatelet meds like Aspirin may be considered ineligible from donating blood. Individuals on antibiotic medication are also advised against blood donation, not because of the medication but because there is a risk that the illness or infection may get transmitted through blood.
*Avoid heavy workouts
It is recommended to stay away from strenuous exercise/activities or heavy lifting for a minimum of 24 hours after blood donation. Those whose work involve physical labour should ideally take a day or two off to rest well.
Refrain from alcohol consumption
Replenishing oneself with fluids like water and juices is ideal, ,but it is advised to avoid consuming alcohol for at least 12 hours post blood donation to prevent weakness.
Blood donation burns calories and also reduces the risk of heart diseases. It also reduces the amount of about 225mg to 250 mg of iron from your body, reducing the risk of health complications like irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, hardening of arteries, accelerated cholesterol oxidation, etc. which can occur due to high blood iron.