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

SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME – BLOOD SAVES LIVESEstoniaEstonia in EuropeEstonia’s integration into theEuropean Union reflects thenation’s firm commitment to thevalues and principles of democracy,the rule of law, respect forhuman rights, security and amarket economy. The reformsunderway are an active attempt tobuild a stable and prosperoussociety based on these values.The cost of nonremunerationWHO, the European Union andother authorities rightly place highstandards on blood donations andblood products. Countries applyingfor integration into Europe musthave appropriate legislation and anational blood programmecompliant with quality standards.One of these blood safetymeasures recommends that blooddonations should be voluntary andnon-remunerated.Estonia likes to keep in step withour world and, in 1996–1997,moved from donations which weremostly paid, towards thepromotion of non-remuneratedCoffee offered to blood donors andstaff by a local sponsorblood donations. This was a verydifficult change in people’s beliefs.On the good side, 92% of blooddonations were non-remuneratedin 1998, rising to over 98% at theturn of the century. But thissuccess had its negative side, andthe number of donations plummeted,falling from over 70 000 in1996 to only 44 000 a year later.Luckily this trend was thenreversed and, in 1998, 47 000blood donations were collectedfollowed by 50 300 in 1999.A spring dayThe 7 April 2000, in SpringtimeEurope, Estonia celebrated safeblood donations. A small exhibitionwas opened in the EstonianHealthcare Museum in Tallinn,comprising materials and photosfrom earlier years and contemporarytimes alike, which alloweda review of the developments inthe national blood service, and anopportunity to advocate forvoluntary, non-remunerated blooddonations. The opening of theexhibition was attended by councillorsof the donation department,the Chairman of the Board of theEstonian Blood Donors Association,and the Head of the DonationDepartment of the North EstonianBlood Centre.Earlier in the day, 31 donations ofblood were collected at theMuseum, which is more than twicethe usual collection. Schoolchildren and teachers wereparticularly excited to witnessfirst-hand a “live” blood donation.Every donor received a smallsouvenir to remember the day, andfresh coffee was offered to all bythe sponsor of the Day, “LöfbergsLila”.In addition, 43 donors attendedthe North Estonian Blood Centre,68 ▲ WORLD HEALTH DAY ▼ SAFE BLOOD STARTS WITH ME