World Blood Donor Day is a day celebrated every June 14 in order to thank those who donate the resource altruistically. In addition, it seeks to raise awareness of the need to make regular donations to guarantee the quality, safety and availability of blood. The date was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004 and this year the campaign has as its motto “20 years celebrating generosity: Thank you very much, blood donors!”
On this occasion, “We want to thank all these blood donors who give their arm since the patients’ lives often depend on that donation. This day allows us to thank all the people who save the life of another person with their donations.“, says Andrea Acosta, coordinator of the Hemotherapy area of CUDAIO.
The importance of donating
Blood is a resource that is not bought or manufactured anywhere. It is important that this June 14 be one of reflection: donating voluntarily and selflessly, without having a family member or someone you know who requires it, can save lives. From the donation you can access transfusions: “This way we can provide treatment to a patient. Especially to those who suffer from different pathologies, who are hospitalized both in hospitals and in private providers, and who need a transfusion of red blood cells, platelets or plasma,” Dr. Acosta explained in dialogue with El Litoral.
The extraction is a simple, quick, practically painless and safe act.. “The requirements to be a suitable donor are minimal: be between 18 and 65 years old, weigh more than 50 kg, present with ID, eat breakfast regularly, be in good health at least in the last week prior to donating and if you received some vaccine, you must wait 72 hours to perform the procedure,” Acosta said.
In addition, he explained that, “the donation lasts about 15, 20 minutes. First the donor will register, then the extraction will be carried out at one of the stations and finally, they will have a snack so they can then continue with their activities normally.”
For CUDAIO it is important to incorporate the culture of voluntary and habitual blood donation, since “we consider that it is the only way to achieve universal access to safe blood. Each one of us at some point is going to need a transfusion and that is why the availability has to be prior to that.”, said the coordinator of the Hemotherapy area.
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According to the Pan American Health Organization, 1,400,000 donations are registered annually in Argentina and 4,000,000 blood components are produced. The donor panorama in the province of Santa Fe is 52% voluntary donation. “We have been working for many years on donation campaigns, where we allow people to come and donate and not have to do it like the old replacement model where you had to go to a hospital or an entity to make the donation,” Dr. Acosta del Cudaio said and added that “We approach schools, neighborhoods, neighborhood commissions, universities and others, where we put together our collections and we give the donor the opportunity to come to a place where they feel comfortable”.
See alsoClaudia Mosler, transplant recipient and activist: “We are the living testimony of the actor of love that is donating organs” In the province, since the beginning of June, blood donation days have been held in several locations. Today, in the city of Santa Fe, it will be held at the Municipal Council with prior registration, in which an online form must be completed that can be found on the official CUDAIO website: https://cudaio.gob.ar/ blood-collections/
