The World Health Organization (WHO) and Pakistan's Health Ministry launched a joint appeal on Friday to the general public to "urgently and voluntarily" donate blood to address a deficit that was severely limiting hospitals' capacity to save lives.
The appeal came on the eve of World Blood Donor Day, which is being observed on Saturday (today) to acknowledge voluntary, unpaid blood donors and raise awareness about the importance of safe blood and blood products. The year's theme is "Give blood, give hope – together we save lives".
In the connection, nearly 150 volunteers participated in a blood donation drive organised by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in collaboration with WHO. One of the first volunteers to donate blood was WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr Dapeng Luo.
Voluntary blood donations can save lives and give hope to those in need. With a single donation, each of us can save up to three lives," said Dr Luo, speaking on the occasion. "Every patient who needs blood should be able to receive it," Luo added.
He said that WHO would continue to work with Pakistan to strengthen a blood service.
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