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

SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME – BLOOD SAVES LIVESArgentina“Safe blood startswith us”: national andprovincial ministrieslaunch United PlanThe first successful blood transfusionusing sodium citrate as ananticoagulant was performed inArgentina by Dr Luis Agote in1914. This was an importantadvance since it led to thepossibility of storage of blood andthe creation of blood banks.Previously, the donor had to bepresent at the time of transfusion.“Yet we must not rest on ourlaurels”,“a drop ofbloodis morepreciousthan adiamond”warnedHéctorLombardo,Minister ofHealth,during theopeningceremony onWorld HealthAn invitation to give bloodDay. With the poignant image “adrop of blood is more preciousthan a diamond”, he announcedthe launch of a nationwidecampaign to attract altruisticblood donors, in collaboration withthe Argentine Red Cross. “Theintegration of nongovernmentalorganizations with the Ministry ofHealth is fundamental”, Lombardocontinued. The need for a unifiedapproach was reiterated acrossall 24 provincialministries, whereeducation materialwas distributed andspecial projectsinitiated.Ana del Pozo, Chief ofHaemotherapy at theJuan GarrahanHospital, couldn’tagree more. Ourefforts are in vain, shecautioned, if we do nothave an undivided, strongeducational message, that mustcome from the highest level andbe heard at the lowest.All together: altruismThis one strong message in theblood safety campaign was thevital need to increase the numberof voluntary, unpaid donors fromlow-risk population groups. TheMinister of Health of Argentinaaffirmed that “professional blooddonations should be curtailed andstrategies developed to put an endto this practice”, remarksreiterated by Juan Manuel Sotelo,PAHO/WHO Representative.Furthermore, the Ministerconsidered that the solidarity andgenerosity of the nation—particularly in emergencysituations when they rush to giveblood—has been underestimated.“Through education, we shouldharness this gesture of communalsolidarity”, he concluded.Commitment at thehighest levelWell in advance of thecelebrations, hosted at the toplevel, a National Work Commissionwas formed with representativesof the Ministry of Health, PAHO/WHO, the Argentine Association28 ▲ WORLD HEALTH DAY ▼ SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME