‘Give blood and keep the world beating’
Monday, 14 June, is World Blood Donor Day 2021 – a day dedicated to raising global awareness of the need for safe blood.
Did you know that your blood donation can save a life?
Monday, 14 June, is World Blood Donor Day 2021 – a day dedicated to raising global awareness of the need for safe blood. With so many reasons to be a blood donor, Affinity Health urged all South Africans to ‘Give Blood And Keep The World Beating’.
The specific objectives of this year’s World Blood Donor Day campaign are to:
• Thank all blood donors around the world and raise public awareness about the importance of regular, unpaid blood donations.
• Promote blood donation as a way to strengthen community solidarity and social cohesion.
• Encourage young people to respond to the humanitarian call to donate blood and to encourage others to do so as well.
• Recognise the potential of youth as partners in health promotion.
“Blood is a precious resource that anyone can donate to help someone who is in need, yet in South Africa, less than 1 percent are active blood donors despite a minimum of 810 000 units of blood needed to meet the yearly South African demand,” said Murray Hewlett, CEO of Affinity Health.
Murray said if you’ve never done it before, blood donation can seem a little scary.
“Some people may be anxious about the pain of donating blood, worried over the safety measures in place for donors, concerned over the time it takes to donate blood, or the costs involved. The truth is that donating blood is no more painful than a skin prick as the needle is inserted; after that, it may feel like a dull ache at worst as the blood flows.”
He added the materials used for blood donation, including the needle, blood bags, tubes, and finger prick needle, are new, sterile, and disposable, making blood donation safe.
“Donating blood won’t take longer than an hour and 15 minutes, from the time you arrive until you leave, and won’t cost you a cent, either.”
The blood donation process in five steps is:
• Step 1: Eat a meal four hours before going to the donor centre
• Step 2: Completion of donor questionnaire
• Step 3: Interview with SANBS nurse
• Step 4: Blood pressure, blood iron levels, and weight measured
• Step 5: Give blood
“Knowing that with a single donation you could save three lives makes donating your blood worth it. One never knows whether you, a close friend or a family member could well be the next car accident victim or surgery candidate requiring a transfusion.”
According to the South African National Blood Service (SANBS), due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, the service has seen a sharp decline in its blood stocks. As such, SANS is urged South Africans to register as blood donors.
To assist SANBS’s quest to collect more units of blood, Affinity Enterprises, through its CSI initiative, The 100% Foundation, regularly hosts blood drives across the country.
To find the location of SANBS blood donation centres closest to you, click here. Or you may consider motivating your employer to host a blood drive at your offices for the convenience of all staff members.
