June 14 is the date set aside by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as World Blood Donor Day. The theme this year is “Blood connects us all.” The date was chosen to recognise the benevolence of blood donors who voluntary contribute blood to those in dire need of it, in addition to bringing awareness to the need for more persons to come on board and donate blood.
The Government, over the years, through the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) and in collaboration with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other international and local bodies, has been making positive strides in recording donations in Guyana.
It was noted that Guyana’s blood donations grew from 25 per cent in the 1990s to 90 per cent currently, a commendable feat for a low-income country.
The Public Health Minister in observance of World Blood Donor Day highlighted the impetus of his Ministry in wanting to achieve 100 per cent voluntary blood donations by 2020. Furthermore, the NBTS has outlined that it recorded a donated total of 9698 units of blood annually. The body, however, is aiming for 10,000 to 12,000 units donated yearly since this is the average amount required for over 15,000 surgeries.
This is where the challenge presents itself, since there is apparently a direct correlation to the amount of blood donated and the economic income of the country. According to the WHO, over 108 million blood donations are collected globally, “half of which comes from high-income countries”. “In low-income countries, up to 65 per cent of blood transfusions are given to children under 5 years of age; whereas in high-income countries, the most frequently transfused patient group is over 65 years of age, accounting for up to 76 per cent of all transfusions.”
The Health Organisation also posited: “There is a marked difference in the level of access to blood between low- and high-income countries…The median blood donation rate in high-income countries is 36.8 donations per 1000 population. This compares with 11.7 donations in middle-income countries and 3.9 donations in low-income countries.”
According to the international organisation, 75 countries reported collecting fewer than 10 donations per 1000 population. Of these, “40 countries are in WHO’s African Region, 8 in the Americas, 7 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 6 in Europe, 6 in South-Eastern Asian and 8 in the Western Pacific. All are low- or middle-income countries.”
What the data suggests is that high-income countries tend to receive more blood donations than low-income countries. In Guyana’s case, we are classified as a low-income country, but maybe due to our thriving economic growth of four to five per cent growth annually, we were in a position that afforded the input of 90 per cent donations up to this point. However, Guyana’s economy has since slumped and our growth projections are expected to reduce significantly until mechanisms are put in place to facilitate growth.
What this invariably means is that based on the information provided by the WHO, Guyana might very well see a decrease in persons who will volunteer to donate blood in the near future.
While that theoretical application may or may not play out in the near future, it is something that we should take into consideration as we strive to reach 100 per cent voluntary blood donations in 2020.
Persons should not lose hope, however, and should continue to support the much-needed cause to donate blood as often as they could, since they will not only be saving lives by giving the gift of life, they will also be benefiting from their benevolence whether they know it or not.
Studies have shown that for persons who donate blood regularly, their blood tends to flow better and the excess build-up of iron in their blood and consequently body is reduced. This equates to better health for them, as statistically they are 88 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack.
Additionally, the mere act of doing good for others has an effect on the longevity of life. A study in Health Psychology found that people who volunteered for altruistic reasons had a significantly reduced risk of mortality four years later than those who volunteered for themselves alone.
While the health benefits of donating can act as an incentive to do so, persons should always note that donating blood saves lives. A single donation can save the lives of up to three people, according to the Red Cross.
