Safe Blood Starts with Me - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization

SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME – BLOOD SAVES LIVESMongoliaMongolia paysconsiderable attentionto blood safetyThe provision and safety of bloodand blood products is of greatpublic health concern to theGovernment of Mongolia. Thetheme of World Health Day 2000“Safe Blood Starts With Me—Blood Saves Lives” followedimmediately the adoption of theLaw on Donors, an initiativedeveloped by President N.Bagabandi. This contributed in nosmall way to the success of thePresident Bagaband (second from right)visiting the Blood Centrepublic promotion campaign andimprovement in the quality ofblood and blood products inMongolia.On receiving the official letter ofDr Gro Harlem Brundtland,Director-General of WHO, thePresident issued an appeal to thecitizens of Mongolia. The Ministryof Health and Social Welfare withthe Red Cross Society of Mongoliadeveloped an action plan insupport of this appeal.The initiative of the Presidentgained the full support of thenation, especially from universitystudents, high schools andcolleges. For instance, theMongolian National MedicalUniversity, the key educationalinstitution that preparesMongolian doctors and healthrelatedprofessionals, keenlyaccepted this challenge.In the central aimak, theentire local governmentstaff donated bloodDonate blood: settingan exampleDr Sh. Batbayar, ParliamentMember, Dr S. Sonin, Minister ofHealth and Social Welfare andDr R. Salmela, Acting WHORepresentative, took part in aspecial meeting on blood safety. Atthis meeting, students of theMongolian National MedicalUniversity donated their blood,appealing to all students ofMongolia to participate actively inthe movement for voluntary, nonremuneratedblood donorrecruitment. Many studentsfollowed the example of the WHORepresentative in publiclydonating blood.Efforts to promote blood donationwere not only initiated inUlaanbaatar, capital city ofMongolia with one third of thetotal population, but in all aimaks(provinces). For example, in thecentral aimak, the entire staff ofthe local government andorganization of citizensrepresentative meeting donatedtheir blood.Information, educationand communicationAn important aspect of WHD 2000was that very broad activitiesrelated to information, educationand communication wereundertaken. The brochure andposters provided by WHO weretranslated into the Mongolianlanguage and printed anddistributed to all aimaks andsoums (villages). The Ministry ofHealth also translated into the110 ▲ WORLD HEALTH DAY ▼ SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME