The Union government has instructed all its Ministries and departments to observe World Blood Donor Day on June 14 to boost blood donation in the country. The theme for this year’s event is “One Drop of Humanity, Give Blood, Save Lives.” Ministries are tasked with organizing various programs like awareness activities and blood donation camps to encourage community participation.
India faces an annual need for 14.6 million units of blood, as per a 2018 study by the National Blood Transfusion Council. Despite efforts, including voluntary donations, there remains a blood shortage in the country, leading to approximately 12,000 daily deaths due to lack of timely access to safe blood. Experts highlight the importance of blood donation, noting that a single unit of blood can save the lives of three individuals by providing red cells, plasma, and platelets.
The World Health Organization recommends that one percent of a country’s population should donate blood to meet basic requirements. In India, however, there are only 8.9 million registered blood donors, falling short of the necessary 14 million donors by about one million units annually. The Union government aims to address this shortfall through its initiatives on World Blood Donor Day.
