Club 25, where blood donors love life!

More than 75 million units of blood are collected annually worldwide. Red Cross and Red Crescent societies gather directly an estimated 30 per cent while another 30 per cent is donated through organizations and services supported by National Societies. To ensure the safety of the blood supply, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has made the elimination of the use of paid donors and the conversion of family and replacement donors to voluntary ones a high priority.

Every day millions of people require blood transfusions. Most transfusions save lives, but they can also put a patient at risk if blood is contaminated by an infectious disease. Up to 5 per cent of HIV infections in the developing world, for example, may still be due to transfusion of contaminated blood. Maintaining a safe blood supply, therefore, is in the interest of every public health official.

Safe blood may generally be described as having no traces of viruses, parasites, drugs, alcohol, chemical substances or other factors that may cause harm to the recipient. A crucial element in ensuring safety is to know as much as possible about the source of donated blood.

More information: http://www.ifrc.org/what/health/blood/index.asp

Year: 2004
Duration: 15 minutes 7 seconds

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