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

WHO House in New Delhi. In thisregion the partnership isabsolutely crucial where the needfor greater advocacy in bloodsafety is so essential. GeoffreyDennis, head of the Federationregional delegation in South Asia,spoke about the vital role playedby Red Cross and Red Crescentvolunteers in motivating andretaining voluntary donors:“Safe blood should not beperceived solely as blood that hasbeen screened for diseases. Safeblood is about advocatingindividual and collectiveresponsibility at all levels—donors, providers of bloodservices and governments alike,”he said.The New Delhi news conferencehighlighted the problem of demandand supply in the region. Indiaalone faces a shortfall of 3.5million units of blood every yearand the gap continues to widen.Geoffrey Dennis stressed the needfor the rational use of blood in theregion and said that the nationalRed Cross and Red Crescentsocieties in the region wereactively involved in promoting andpopularizing the use of bloodcomponents amongst healthpractitioners. ▲For further information on bloodsafety activities at the IFRCRCS,contact:Health and Care (Blood)International Federation of RedCross and Red CrescentSocietiesP.O. Box 372, 1211 GenevaSwitzerlandTel: +41 22 730 42 22Fax: +41 22 733 0395E-mail: secretariat@ifrc.orgInternet: www.ifrc.orgMessage fromKofi Annan, Secretary-Generalof the United Nations on World Health Day 2000Each year, blood transfusions save millions of lives. They are anessential component of the health-care system. The theme forthis year’s World Health Day “Safe Blood Starts With Me—Blood SavesLives” is a timely reminder of the importance of an accessible, safeblood supply for the world’s people.The safety of blood transfusion continues to be a critical problem inmany parts of the world. Technological advances have led tosubstantial improvements in industrial countries, but progress indeveloping countries has lagged behind.World Health Day 2000 draws our attention to the avoidable deathsthat result from a lack of safe blood supply. Current estimates suggestthat each year about 13 million unites of untested blood aretransfused. The women, children and poor people of the developingworld are particularly susceptible to infections transmitted throughtransfusion. Although considerable progress has been made, muchremains to be done to ensure global blood safety.Of the 191 WHO Member States, only 43% systematically screendonor’s blood for hepatitis B and C and HIV, and 29% have nationalpolicies and plans to ensure blood safety. Blood safety must be akey element of national health systems.On this World Health Day 2000, let us commit ourselves to the goalof making safe blood supplies available to every patient who needsthem, wherever he or she may live. We should see this as one of theessential services to which every human being is entitled. ▲7 ▲ WORLD HEALTH DAY ▼ SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME