Life-blood for the nation
On June 14 every year, the country joins with others across the globe to mark World Blood Donor Day.
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) will celebrate the dedication of blood donors during June.
Launching the South African Blood Donor Month in Johannesburg on June 2, the SANBS chief operations officer (COO) Mr Ravi Reddy highlighted the challenge.
“Our target for 2015 is 815 509 units of blood. We will only achieve this if many of our present donors are able to increase the number of donations they make and if members of the public come forward to replace donors who have given generously over the years but who can no longer do so,” said Mr Reddy.
South Africa is one of only 62 countries worldwide where the entire blood supply is donated free of charge by volunteers.
On June 14 every year, the country joins with others across the globe to mark World Blood Donor Day.
This day subsequently expanded into a month-long campaign to highlight the critical importance of blood donation.
“No health system can do its job without a dependable supply of safe blood,” said Mr Reddy.
“It is nothing short of a miracle that this vital aspect of healthcare is in the hands of volunteers and they never fail us.
“Many of us do not appreciate the sheer range of situations in which blood plays a life-or-death role. These include everyday occurrences such as child birth and non-emergency surgery, as well as rare blood diseases like cancer treatment and major trauma. Any one of us could find that we owe our life to the generosity of a stranger who gives the gift of blood,” said Mr Reddy.
Blood donors must be free of blood-borne pathogens, such as HIV and hepatitis B, to protect patients from infection. The sheer size of the HIV epidemic in South Africa raised doubts some years ago that the SANBS would be able to maintain infection-free blood supplies and at the same time, keep pace with the demand for blood.
Mr Reddy said, “We are proud to say that South Africa has met this challenge. We have diversified our blood donor base and we do not distinguish on the grounds of race, sexual orientation or place of residence. Through better communication with prospective donors and by embracing ultra-sensitive testing technology to detect HIV infection, we have not had a single reported case of transfusion-acquired HIV in the last nine years.”
The Greenstone Shopping Centre will hosting a blood drive on June 13 and 14, from 10am to 3pm.
