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

the University of Bujumburatwirled, for example, withoutstretched arms and smilingfaces in honour of altruistic blooddonors. Under blue skies, theyoung girls sang songs in praise ofthe Lord for the gift of safe bloodand paraded little baskets,decorated with the logo of the dayand containing packets of safedonated blood. They appealedparticularly to the women ofBurundi to donate their blood tosave a life, since giving life cameso naturally to them.The Director of the National BloodTransfusion Centre, Dr DéogratiasSongore, welcomed the crowdsthat had gathered to celebrate theBlood discriminatesagainst no one creed, ethnicgroup or frontier. It’s ourcommunal life line.event, and recalled the sense ofduty and responsibility of eachand every citizen to observe ahealthy lifestyle, and therebyprotect his or her blood fromharmful elements.This was followed by anintervention by Dr Louis Mboneko,Inspector General for PublicHealth, who told blood donors“The 7th of April 2000 is yourday”. He congratulated them fortheir humane actions, and urgedthem to continue giving blood, andto spread the word to family andfriends. Give blood: give love.The theme of this year’s WorldHealth Day was taken as anopportunity to offer a workshopseminaron blood safety forclinicians across the nation. Fortwo days, Professor ReghisAbderezzak, Director of a largeBlood Transfusion Centre inAlgeria, reinforced the messagesof appropriate use of blood andblood products. Used judiciously,blood transfusion saves lives. Theclinicians were shown, however,the many reasons why atransfusion may be unnecessary,and received a checklist designedespecially to assist clinicians inmaking decisions on whether ornot to prescribe blood.Dr Stanislas Ntahobari, MInister of Health, joins in.A People’s PledgeThe challenge that the Associationhas given itself is daunting: toraise the number of voluntary,non-remunerated donors from thecurrent level of 11,000 to 60,000over the next five years. That’s anincrease of nearly 450% with theaim of having one in everyhundred Burundians a safe donor.To attain this magnificent goal, theAssociation will launch a solidadvocacy campaign, targetingschools, universities and the army,in cities, towns, and villages—basically, anywhere where there isa community of people.The WHO Representative inBurundi, Dr P.M.M. Yankalbé, toldthe press that he was happy withthe outcome of the day. “It isvital”, he said, “that blood donorsare part of an awarenesscampaign to sensitize theirfriends, family and neighbours tothe need for them to give blood, asBlood Saves Lives.” ▲For more information on bloodsafety activities in Burundi, contact:The DirectorNational Blood Transfusion CentreB.P. 3585, BujumburaTel: +257 22 35 76Fax: +257 21 73 6814 ▲ WORLD HEALTH DAY ▼ SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME