New Blog 1: Blood Donation Facts

Blood Donation Facts

About 92 million blood donations are collected every year. Approximately half of these blood donations are collected in high-income countries, home to 15% of the world’s population1.

About 8000 blood centres in 159 countries report on blood donations. Annual blood donations on average per blood centre in high-income countries is 30 000 versus 3700 in low-income countries.

National blood supplies are based almost entirely on voluntary unpaid blood donations in 62 countries: the WHO goal is for all countries to obtain all blood supplies from voluntary unpaid donors by 2020.39 countries were not able to screen all blood donations for one or more of the following transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs): HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis.

A total of 106 countries have national guidelines on the appropriate clinical use of blood, however, only 13% of low-income countries have a national haemovigilance system to monitor and improve the safety of the transfusion process.Blood transfusion saves lives and improves health, but many patients requiring transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood. Providing safe and adequate blood should be an integral part of every country’s national health care policy and infrastructure. WHO recommends that all activities related to blood collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution be coordinated at the national level through effective organization and a national blood policy. This should be supported by appropriate legislation to promote uniform implementation of standards and consistency in the quality and safety of blood and blood products.