The theme for World Blood Donor Day 2011 is, “More blood. More life.” This theme reinforces the urgent need for more people all over the world to become life-savers by volunteering to donate blood regularly.

Today, 62 countries have blood transfusion services based entirely on voluntary blood donation, up from 39 in 2002. In line with the 2009 Melbourne Declaration, which calls on countries to achieve 100% voluntary unpaid blood donation by the year 2020, World Blood Donor Day aims to increase blood donation by :

 Creating wider awareness of the vital role of blood transfusion in saving lives and improving the health of millions of people each year
 Motivating more individuals to become regular voluntary unpaid blood donors to ensure sufficient stocks of blood to meet national requirements, even in emergency situations
 Recognizing regular voluntary unpaid donors as public health role models; it is because they
Lead healthy lifestyles and are regularly screened that they are able to donate blood regularly.

Paint the world red

The scope of World Blood Donor Day events increases every year in recognition of the selfless individuals who donate their blood for people they will never meet. In 2010, countries in every part of the world celebrated with donor appreciation ceremonies, social networking campaigns, special media broadcasts, and free musical and artistic events for young people. Many countries gathered a group of people wearing red into the shape of a giant blood drop (the “human blood drop”). Support from government leaders, royalty and celebrities, along with diverse community based and youth-oriented activities, all contributed to the festivities.

This year, WHO and partners are encouraging communities in every country to join the World Blood Donor Day campaign and “Paint the world red”, whether by symbolically coloring, covering or lighting monuments, popular landmarks and buildings in red; staging artistic, cultural or musical events with a red-colored theme; or forming a “human blood drop” in prominent public places. Each year, a host country is identified for a global event that provides the focus for an international publicity campaign. The event is also designed to support national blood transfusion services, blood donor organizations and other nongovernmental organizations in strengthening and expanding their voluntary blood donor programmes and to reinforce regional, national and local campaigns. The 2011 global event will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, hosted by the Government of Argentina.

“Celebrating the gift of blood” 14 JUNE 2011Over the coming months, the WHO World Blood Donor Day web page (www.who.int/worldblooddonorday) will present more information and promotional materials as well as additional resources in different languages, including details about World Blood Donor Day news and events. You are invited to contribute by sharing your ideas, resource materials and plans for activities through this web site.

Growing need for safe blood

The need for safe and secure supplies of blood and blood products is universal. Worldwide, at least 90 million units of blood are donated each year to save lives and improve health. However, demand for blood for transfusion continues to increase, and many countries cannot meet existing needs. In many regions, this means inadequate supplies to replace blood lost in childbirth (a major cause of maternal deaths) and to treat anemia that threatens the lives of children who have malaria or are undernourished. Everywhere, blood and blood products are needed for routine and emergency surgery, including life-saving treatment for growing numbers of people injured in road traffic accidents, and for treating congenital blood disorders.

Globally, more than 70 countries have blood donation rates less than what is generally considered necessary to meet a nation’s basic requirements for blood, namely 1% of the population; the requirements are higher in countries with advanced health care systems. Even countries with higher
donation rates often struggle to maintain blood stocks that are sufficient to meet the requirements for a range of increasingly sophisticated medical and surgical procedures. A stable base of voluntary unpaid blood donors who give regularly is the foundation of a safe and adequate blood supply. In addition, evidence shows that voluntary donors are at lower risk of transmitting life-threatening infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C through their blood than family and replacement
donors and, especially, paid donors.

Working together for World Blood Donor Day

Your involvement and support will help to ensure a wide impact for World Blood Donor Day 2011, increasing recognition worldwide that giving blood is a life-saving act of solidarity and that services providing safe blood and blood products are an essential element of every health care system. Enthusiasm and participation of interested partners is welcomed at all levels to make World Blood Donor Day a success. International organizations, including the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations and the International Society of Blood Transfusion, and others, continue to work in close collaboration to provide guidance and support to their membership in this endeavor. We look forward to expanding this network in 2011 and beyond. To find out more about how your organizations can become involved, contact us through: worldblooddonorday@who.int

We wish you a successful and joyful celebration.

Hi Friends,

Sub  :  Your Local Global Website, Blood Donors – Global – Is ready for use

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You may be well aware of the fact that Blood is the most important life saving liquid which cannot be produced artificially.

We the Bank of Blood are here to contribute our little bit to rekindle and awaken the noble side of the people around the world.

Our mission is to mobilize and enlarge the donors of blood around the world and to help the needy sick people to get the details of the willing donors in their nearest locality, at the click of the mouse and a call.  We all come across with the desire of being good to someone else at some point or other which is just natural.  The action attains utmost purity when devoid of the motivation of profit or return, be it materialistic or otherwise.  The satisfaction of the sick persons and all those who care them will ever remain.   This turns out to be the holy reward to the donor.

We request each and every one of you to register yourself as a voluntary blood donor at this global website bankofblood.com.  By becoming a registered voluntary blood donor -  you can search blood donor’s online data Area-wise, Pin code-wise, District-wise, State-wise, Country-wise; can even register your blood requirements online; last but not the least, you can take a print out of your search results or send these search results to your friends by Email !!!!

All the data in this site is dedicated for the F R E E access to everyone around the world. We endeavor to get the data enlarged, updated and improved to cover every nook and corner of this world.  We prey to each and every one of you to help us for the steady progress of our noble mission, by becoming a voluntary blood donor.

Joining us is so simple –>http://bankofblood.com/–> Click Donor Registration –> Fill in the form with necessary details –> Click Enroll Me –> To check – click on Search button –> If your name appears in the results –> Registration is completed successfully ! ! !

Please pass this message to all your friends.  Certainly, your kind gesture would save many lives.

Help us to serve you!   Donate Blood, Save a Life!  Logon to : http://bankofblood.com  T O D A Y !

With Warm Regards – Team – bankofblood.com – http://bankofblood.com/

All over this world experiences a deficit of blood, ranging 20% to 50% almost in every country. Blood is life and there is no other substitute for human blood as it can neither be manufactured nor replaced by animal blood. Since blood cannot be stored for long periods of time and there is a continuous demand for it, thus it should be donated regularly.

Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person — the gift of life. A decision to donate your blood can save a life, or even several!

Blood Donation is a noble, selfless service. It gives the donor a feeling of joy and contentment. Also this is an expression of love for mankind, as blood knows no caste, color, creed, religion or race, country, continent or sex.

F A Qs

Who needs blood?

Every three seconds, someone needs a blood transfusion!

20% of recipients are children – many are cancer patients!

Giving blood is 100% safe!

One pint (a unit of liquid measure equal to one half quart or 0.473 liter in the United States and 0.568 liter in the United Kingdom ) of blood from one donor can save up to 3 ( three ) lives!!!

Your donation will go to someone in your community

Donating will not cost you money

About 60 percent of the populations are eligible to donate blood, yet less than five percent do!

We import about 30% of our blood supply!

Your body will replenish the fluid lost during the donation within 24 hours!

Chances are you know people who have received a blood transfusion. They include:

* Cancer patients

* Sickle cell patients

* Leukemia patients

* Premature infants

* Hemophilia patients

* Surgery patients

* Accident victims

* Burn and trauma victims

What are the benefits of donating blood?

Giving blood doesn’t just benefit recipients. Regardless of age, donating blood offers many benefits for donors. It allows you to :

Make a difference in your community by helping others; develop a sense of commitment to and connection with your local community; be assured that adequate supplies of blood are available for you, as well as your family, friends and others; at the time of your crisis too.

Intensive Care Units all across the country, to elderly individuals needing that vital surgery for one last chance at life, blood donations go on to help all sorts of people from all different ethnic backgrounds, ages and walks of life.

Giving blood is a way to make a difference that will never be in vain. Blood donations are constantly in demand, as donated blood can only be used for several weeks in some cases. Hospitals never know how much blood of a certain type they will require to help patients, and especially when a disaster takes place, there will be a dramatically increased demand for blood that a certain location may not be able to meet. You can help resolve that issue by donating every 8 weeks, as your body replaces the donated blood rather quickly.

Outside of being an indirect hero in an emergency situation, there are other reasons to donate blood. First of all, you are helping to ensure safety for yourself and loved ones in case you come into a situation where you yourself need a transfusion. Giving blood is not only a beneficial thing for strangers, but it can help you with your future health concerns as well. By joining bankofblood.com and donating blood regularly, you may even get to know some of the other blood donors. You will be connected to a generous portion of the community you did not otherwise know existed.

Bankofblood.com voluntary blood donors are a very special group of volunteers who truly make a difference in the local world around them.

Finally, you will gain reassurance that you are on a healthy road yourself. Every time you donate blood, your blood pressure and temperature are taken, not to mention pulse and hemoglobin rate. Every donation day is like a mini-physical check up day, so you can stay in tip top shape while helping others. Blood banks are continually looking for new donors, and you just might be exactly who someone needs that day.

Who can donate blood ?

Males can donate at every 3 Months & Females can donate at every 4 Months.

Blood Donor Eligibility Criteria : -

Age

First Time Donors – 16 to 60 years of age.

Existing Donors – Up to 71 years of age.

Weight

You must be 50 kg or over.

Health

You must be in good health.

You cannot donate if you have a cold, flu, sore throat, cold sore, stomach bug or any other infection.

If you have recently had a tattoo or body piercing you cannot donate for 6 months from the date of the procedure.

If you have visited the dentist for a minor procedure you must wait 24 hours before donating; for major work wait a month.

Food

You must have eaten some food during the four hours prior to donation

Identification

It is better to carry an identification Card of yours, each time you donate.

Acceptable ID is a document or a combination of documents, which contains three (3) unique points of personal information. These can be: full name, photograph, date of birth, home address.  In India, Election ID card or such documents will suffice this requirement.

What is the exact procedure for donating blood?

Giving blood is a very simple and straight forward process.

On arrival at a blood drive, you will be asked about your details and medical history.

After you pass this simple medical screening process, you will be escorted to a blood donation area.

The actual blood donation takes about 10 minutes followed by a little rest and refreshments.

How they use my blood?

Blood is comprised of different parts, which serve different purposes. They include:

• Red cells: blood cells that transport oxygen to body cells and remove carbon dioxide from the bloodstream.
• White cells (Leukocytes): blood cells that protect the bloodstream from bacteria.
• Platelets: blood cells that help control bleeding by helping the clotting process.
• Plasma: consisting of 92 percent water, 7 percent protein, 1 percent minerals, it’s the source for gamma globulin, albumin and clotting factors.

If your blood is separated into its components — red cells, platelets and plasma — which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions.

Safe blood saves lives and improves health. Blood transfusion is needed for:

• Women with complications of pregnancy, such as ectopic pregnancies and hemorrhage before, during or after childbirth;
• Children with severe anemia often resulting from malaria or malnutrition;
• People with severe trauma following accidents; and
• Many surgical and cancer patients.
• People with conditions such as Thalassemia and sickle cell disease and is used to make products such as clotting factors for people with hemophilia.

Hence, there is a constant need for regular blood supply because blood can be stored for only a limited time before use. Regular blood donations by a sufficient number of healthy people are needed to ensure that safe blood will be available whenever and wherever it is needed.

Before Donating

• Get a good night’s sleep
• Have a good breakfast or lunch
• Drink extra water and fluids to replace the volume you will donate (avoid tea, coffee, or other beverages with caffeine)
• Eat iron-rich foods — red meat, fish, poultry or liver, beans, iron-fortified cereals, raisins and prunes
• Avoid fatty foods, such as hamburgers, fries, or ice cream before donating.
• Tests for infections done on all donated blood can be affected by fatty materials — lipids — that appear in your blood for several hours after eating fatty foods. When this occurs and required testing cannot be performed, the blood may need to be discarded.

During the Donation

Wear clothing with sleeves that can be raised above the elbow Show the staff any “good veins” that have been used successfully in the past to draw blood and Relax. Take the time to enjoy a snack and a drink in the refreshments area immediately after donating.

After Donation

Dehydrate by drinking plenty of fluids over the next 24 – 48 hours.  Avoid strenuous physical activity or heavy lifting for about five hours after donation If you feel light headed, lie down, preferably with feet elevated, until the feeling passes In rare cases when bleeding occurs after removing the bandage, apply pressure to the site and raise your arm for 3 – 5 minutes; if bleeding or bruising occurs under the skin, apply a cold pack to the area periodically during the first 24 hours.  Enjoy the good feeling that comes with knowing that you may have saved as many as three lives.

Eat and Drinks something before leaving

Drink more liquids than usual in next 4 hours

Avoid consuming alcohol until you have eating something

Don’t smoke for next 30 minutes

Avoid climbing steps for next 30 minutes

If there is bleeding from the phlebotomy site, raise the arm and apply pressure

If fainting or dizziness occurs, either lie down or site with the head between the knees

Resume all normal activities if no symptoms occur.

If we make a person smile with our small gesture, it gives amending to our own life. Bankofblood.com wishes that nobody needs blood by God’s grace…but…for those who need blood should have a life saver.

What should I eat after blood donation?

Drink some liquid like tea, cold drink, juice, etc. to replenish fluid and eat some snacks. All this will be available for you at the blood donation

site.

What does a blood bank do?

It collects blood, processes it in its components, tests for any possible disease, stores blood components at optimum temperature and gives these to the needy patients after cross matching.

Why blood components?

In modern medicine there is no room for whole blood. Developed countries have switched over to blood components for more than 20 years. Unfortunately in India still 95% of the blood is used as whole blood. By making blood components, all the useful parts of blood can be used. In whole blood, platelets die and clotting factors become ineffective and the patient receives unwanted and ineffective components.

What all things you test my blood for?

Automatic and highly sensitive Robotic blood testing set up is used to test each and every unit of blood for HIV Virus (AIDS), Hepatitis B & C virus (Jaundice) Malaria Parasite, Syphilis and also blood groups. Thanks to robotic machines the lab technicians also have minimal contact with the blood, which ensures their safety from blood transmitted disease.

…and lastly

It isn’t every day you can do something to save someone’s life.  But it can be a common experience-if you give blood.  This year over 4 million people will need a “transfusion” to survive illness or injury. Every year ever more will need it as demand continues to grow. Blood is indeed something special. It can’t be manufactured, and it can’t be replaced with animal blood. Yet, statistics show only 5 percent of all possible donors actually rolls up their sleeves and give.

Young people, in particular, are in demand. Why? For the most part, they’re healthier than other age groups and thus more able to give. They can donate blood for a lifetime, ensuring a steady source of blood.

Act now and donate your blood without any worry. It won’t cost you anything but can bring back the smiles on the face of needy patient…..

Team – http://bankofblood.com/