Spokesman Report

Islamabad, Pakistan – On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pakistan’s Ministry of Health joined hands in calling on the population to urgently and voluntarily donate blood to address a deficit that is severely limiting hospitals’ capacity to save lives. Medical centres in Pakistan need over 5 million blood donations annually – and will require 5.6 million by 2030 –, but they are currently receiving only approximately 2.3 million donations per year.

Under the international theme ‘Give blood, give hope – together we save lives’, near 150 volunteers participated in a blood drive organized by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in collaboration with WHO. One of the first volunteers to donate blood was WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr Dapeng Luo.

“Every patient who needs blood should be able to receive it. WHO will continue to work with Pakistan to strengthen a blood service that promotes voluntary donations and gives patients access to safe blood and blood products in sufficient quantity, as a key component of an effective health system. Voluntary blood donations can save lives and give hope to those in need. With a single donation, each of us can save up to three lives,” said Dr Luo.

Approximately 1.9 million of the 2.3 million annual blood donations in Pakistan (82 per cent) come from family or replacement donors, while voluntary, non-remunerated blood donations account for only 18% of the total.

Voluntary blood donations are the safest and most sustainable source of blood, as voluntary donors are less likely to transmit infectious diseases and can contribute to build systems in which every patient has access to safe blood regardless of their income or social status.

“The real heroes are those who donate blood without any hesitation. It is a very noble cause,” said Dr Nelson Azeem, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.

“Giving blood is giving life, and together we can do this. We are in the phase of revitalizing the Regional Blood Transfusion Centre. I do appreciate the effort of WHO and the technical support being provided. Their continuous support will ultimately result in proper screening and proper testing, ” said Director General Health, Dr Shabana Saleem.

WHO is standing with Pakistan to continue reinforcing the country’s blood banks and the use of standardized screening blood methods and protocols to ensure safe and adequate blood supplies for all, leaving no one behind.