By Juliet Jacob Ochenje
To mark the 2023 World Blood Donations Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that over 118.5 million blood donation is collected globally, with 40% collected in high income countries, which are home to 16% of the world population.
In a statement to mark the day, WHO harped on the importance of blood donation in developing countries to support health care requirements. It noted that in high income countries, blood transfusion is most commonly used for supportive care in cardiovascular surgery, transplant surgery, massive trauma, therapy for solid and haematological malignancies.
In low and middle income countries, it continued, it is used more often to manage pregnancy related complications and severe childhood anaemia.
WHO also highlighted that in high income countries, the most frequently transfused patient group is over 60 years of age, and up to 76% of all transfusions, while in low income countries, up to 54% of given blood are for children under the age of 5 years.
It emphasised mandatory screening of blood for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, as well as for other infections.
While urging processing of blood into components such as red cell concentrates, platelet concentrates, plasma and cryoprecipitate to meet the needs of more than one patient, WHO warned that unnecessary transfusions and unsafe blood practices expose patients to the risk of serious adverse transfusion reactions and transfusion-transmissible infections.
”Unnecessary transfusions also reduce the availability of blood products for patients who are in need,” it added.
