Safe Blood Starts with Me - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization
Safe Blood Starts with Me - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization
Safe Blood Starts with Me - libdoc.who.int - World Health Organization
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SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME – BLOOD SAVES LIVESTunisiaSteering Group on <strong>Blood</strong><strong>Safe</strong>ty in TunisiaTunisia joined all other countriesto celebrate <strong>World</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Dayunder the theme “<strong>Safe</strong> <strong>Blood</strong><strong>Starts</strong> With <strong>Me</strong>—<strong>Blood</strong> SavesLives”. A Steering Group wasformed on the decision of theMinistry of <strong>Health</strong> several monthsin advance. <strong>Me</strong>mbers of the groupincluded representatives of theTransfusion Unit, the National<strong>Blood</strong> Transfusion Centre, theRegional Centres, the <strong>Blood</strong>Transfusion Military Centre, theRed Crescent Association, the<strong>Health</strong> School Board and thePrimary <strong>Health</strong> Care Board. Theobjective of the Steering Groupwas to propose activities thatcould take place on 7 and 8 April2000.<strong>World</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Day joinsNational <strong>Blood</strong> DonationDay<strong>World</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Day falls the daybefore National <strong>Blood</strong> DonationDay, which has been celebrated inTunisia every 8 April since 1988.This year’s focus of WHD on safeblood made it a doublecelebration, and many activitieswere planned for these two days.Some of these are described in thefollowing pages.Important <strong>Me</strong>ssagesA brochure was written in Arabicon <strong>World</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Day by membersof the Steering Group. Using theinformation kit provided, the textswere adapted to the Tunisiacontext and carried the followingmessages:— what is blood?— what issafe blood?— what is thegovernmentdoingto providesafe blood?And finally,— Tunisianeedsmore blood.A noble gestureThis brochure was circulatedextensively to the general public.Promoting public awareness of theneed for voluntary nonremuneratedblood donation wasanother major message, passedthrough articles in Arabic andFrench in Tunisian newspapers,and through television and radiocampaigns.The media campaign could be seenas an aide-mémoire of the bloodtransfusion situation in Tunisia,both in achievements andchallenges. The successesincluded: national legislation onblood safety; a network comprisinga newly built national bloodtransfusion centre <strong>with</strong> fiveregional centres that cover theentire country; national screeningpolicies <strong>with</strong> directives updated tothe end of 1996 and related todonor recruitment and selection;and laboratory testing includingscreening for the infectious agentsHIV, hepatitis B and C, andsyphilis. The challenges wereperceived as the need to replacefamily donors <strong>with</strong> voluntary, non-Mobile blood collection unit60 ▲ WORLD HEALTH DAY ▼ SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME
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