10 facts on blood transfusion
February 2012
Blood transfusion saves lives and improves health, but many patients requiring transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood. The need for blood transfusion may arise at anytime in both urban and rural areas. The unavailability of blood has lead to deaths and many patients suffering from ill-health.
Around 92 million units of blood donations are collected globally every year. Nearly 50% of these blood donations are collected in high-income countries, home to 15% of the world’s population.
An adequate and reliable supply of safe blood can be assured by a stable base of regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donors. Regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donors are also the safest group of donors as the prevalence of bloodborne infections is lowest among these donors.
This fact file presents 10 facts on blood transfusion.
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Events
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The 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion
10–14 June 2013
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Sixty-sixth World Health Assembly
20–28 May 2013
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World health statistics report
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