World Blood Donor Day

Assalam-u-Alaikum!

I pray that everyone is doing well. I was just reading the news and apparently Canada has been chosen to represent World Blood Donor Day on June 14, 2007 by the World Health Organization, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Society of Blood Transfusion and International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations. Canadian Blood Services and Hema-Quebec will work in conjunction with Health Canada to thank blood donors around the world for their selfless gift, and to raise awareness for the universal need for safe blood and blood products. The following information has been extracted from Canadian NewsWire:

World Blood Donor Day was officially designated as an annual event by the World Health Assembly in 2005. It has been hosted previously in the United Kingdom, and Thailand. About 60 per cent of the global blood supply is donated in developed countries where less than 20 per cent of the world's population live-this leaves many countries with acute blood shortages. Less than a quarter of countries have achieved 100 per cent voluntary blood donation. Many countries still depend to varying degrees on blood donation by the friends or family of a patient needing transfusion and, in some countries, some donors are still paid to give blood.

"Increasing the number of voluntary blood donors to give blood regularly is important all around the world," says Dr. Neelam Dhingra, Coordinator, Blood Transfusion Safety, World Health Organization. "While June 14th is a special day, World Blood Donor Day is part of a larger international campaign to ensure safe blood will always be available to every patient who needs transfusion as part of their treatment."

In Canada, World Blood Donor Day falls within National Blood Donor Week which is celebrated by events in towns and cities across the country.
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Congratulations to all those people who helped save lives through donating blood, may Allah grant you success in this life and in the hereafter. And may He help the rest of us in committing such noble deeds.

Peace.