June 14th is International Blood Donor Day. World Blood Donor Day: The origins of World Blood Donor Day. How Donor Day is celebrated around the world

World Blood Donor Day is a holiday created to thank people who donate their own blood to help others. On this day, those who have not yet donated their blood are also encouraged to become donors.

Every year, millions of lives are saved thanks to donation, since every second the inhabitants of our planet of various ages need blood transfusions.

Thanks to World Donor Day, every year there are more and more participants in the donor campaign and people saved by them.

How and when did the holiday originate?

World Blood Donor Day has been celebrated since 2005 - the decision to support the development of blood donation was made unanimously at the World Health Assembly.

The establishment of the holiday was supported by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and world donor organizations and blood transfusion societies. Target world day donor - to encourage people to donate blood voluntarily and free of charge.

Every year, World Donor Day is dedicated to a specific theme - the slogan of the holiday in 2018 is: “Think of others. Donate blood. Share life.”

Greece is the organizer of the main event of World Donor Day 2018 - it will be held on June 14 in Athens.

The holiday is also intended to draw the attention of management different countries on problems in this area of ​​medicine.

The date of the celebration, June 14, was not chosen by chance - it was on this day that the world's famous Austrian immunologist Karl Landsteiner was born 150 years ago.

Landsteiner was the first to say that human blood has different composition and is divided into groups - for this discovery he received the Nobel Prize.

The holiday is celebrated by donors, doctors of specialized specializations, teachers and students, organizers of charity events, as well as patients with blood diseases.

On World Blood Donor Day, many countries hold international conferences, meetings, charity events to help patients, and so on.

How and where can you donate blood?

World Blood Donor Day is celebrated annually in Russia - events dedicated to the holiday in the Russian capital started on June 8.

“In Russia, more than one and a half million people annually need blood transfusions. Moscow clinics are fully supplied with blood and its components, but supplies must be regularly replenished,” the Moscow Department of Health says.

You can become a donor and donate blood at medical organizations of the Moscow Department of Health within two weeks.

In the city clinical hospital No. 13 informational and preventive event “Donate blood - save a life” will be held on June 14. The event includes a donor drive, a gala event for donors, and so on.

The events are aimed at attracting the attention of the population to the need to replenish the blood bank and its components.

On-site donor events will be carried out by teams from the Blood Center named after. OK. Gavrilov for employees of medical, public and other Moscow organizations who wished to become free blood donors.

© photo: Sputnik / Grigory Sysoev

At the City Clinical Hospital named after. V.V. Vinogradov on June 15 there will be a donor event for everyone from 9:00 to 13:00. Those wishing to become donors must have a passport and compulsory medical insurance policy.

In the transfusiology department of the hospital named after. M. P. Konchalovsky on June 16 from 9:00 to 12:00 there will be a day open doors"Donor Saturday" Anyone over 18 years of age will be able to take part if they have a Russian citizen’s passport.

In the Ulyanovsk region on June 15 there will be an action "Think about others. Donate blood. Share life." The donor event dedicated to World Donor Day will be held at the regional blood transfusion station.

In Samara, donors are expected on June 15 from 8.00 to 13.00 - those Russians who have a residence permit in Samara or the Samara region will be able to take part in the event.

As part of National Donor Day, which took place on April 19, more than 400 liters of blood were collected in Moscow.

In Georgia

Those wishing to donate blood in the capital of Georgia will be able to donate blood on June 14 at the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health.

The state program “Safe Blood” has been implemented in Georgia by the National Center for Disease Control since 2011. The goal of the program is the prevention of diseases transmitted by blood transfusion and the gradual replacement of paid donations with free ones.

According to the latest data, 13 blood banks are participating in this program. In 2016, Georgian blood banks recorded 80.3 thousand cases of free blood donation. Data for 2017 have not yet been published.

Of these, 47.5 thousand donated blood personnel donors. Afterwards, blood is most often donated by relative donors. Their number was 12.4 thousand people. In third place are gratuitous donors, the number of which amounted to 20.3 thousand people.

Donors and blood supplies

There are three types of blood donors - voluntary, donating blood free of charge, family/replacement and paid. The word "donor" comes from the Latin "donare" - "to give".

Every year, about 112.5 million blood donations are collected around the world - information about collection is provided by about 13 thousand blood centers from 176 countries.

The number of donations in blood centers depends on the income level of countries - for countries with high level income accounts for more than half of them, where 19% of the world's population lives.

In high-income countries, the average annual number of donations per blood center is 196% higher than in countries with low level income.

© photo: Sputnik / Grigory Sysoev

The number of voluntary donors donating blood free of charge is growing - in 2013, the number of blood donations increased by 10.7 million compared to 2008.

Voluntary unpaid donors provide 90% of the national blood supply in more than 74 countries, and in 71 countries more than 50% of the national blood supply is provided by family/replacement or paid donors.

Up to 65% of blood transfusions in low-income countries are given to children under 5 years of age, while in high-income countries, most blood transfusions are given to patients over 65 years of age, accounting for up to 76% of all blood transfusions.

The first blood transfusion in the world took place in England in 1818. Dr. James Blundell transfused 500 milliliters of blood to his patient 200 years ago. The patient felt better after the procedure, but died 52 hours later.

Despite the unsuccessful experience, the first step towards blood transfusion was taken. To successfully carry out this procedure, they were later invented special apparatus and syringes, as well as blood conservation.

An adult can lose about one liter of blood without danger to his life. And the dose of donor blood is 400 milliliters. The body restores this amount of blood quite quickly, and the endocrine and immune systems receive a powerful incentive to work.

Socialists believe that people who regularly donate blood are not susceptible to colds and flu, and are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular and oncological diseases. Donation also has a beneficial effect on mental condition person.

Mass donation in the USSR began in 1926 - it was free of charge. More powerful propaganda of the donor movement, supported by the government, began in the USSR in 1957. Blood collection points then received great amount donors.

The material was prepared based on open sources

June 14 is World Blood Donor Day. This date is not very well known in Russia, but in terms of its significance for humans it is the most important. Donor means “to give” in Latin. And this is the true truth - donation around the world is a gratuitous act, although some states try to somehow encourage their citizens. Giving your blood means giving someone life. This awareness of the donor's mission took a long time and was difficult.

Donor and donation

A person cannot live without blood. There is a critical volume of blood in the body, at the border of which the supply must be replenished (in case of injury, disease). If this supply is not available, the death of a person is inevitable, therefore the words that with his 400 milliliters of blood a donor saves an entire life are absolutely true.

Despite the fact that donation is quite successfully developed in many countries, in 62, for example, of which there is almost complete provision of a blood bank on its own, in most countries of the world there is not enough donor blood. Many people, especially in the poorest countries of the world, die precisely because the required number of donors was not found. Therefore, it is important to expand the circle of people who voluntarily and freely donate their blood for the sake of others.

Origins of World Blood Donor Day

In 1818, the first blood transfusion was performed in England. The man died anyway, but the first step in the most important task for the whole world was completed! Scientists have moved further along this path.

On June 14, 1868, Karl Landsteiner was born in Austria. He would later become an immunologist, study the properties of blood, discover the modern four groups, and receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine for this in 1930.

Once the four blood types are known, there will be far fewer deaths after transfusions. Doctors will begin to promote donation in every possible way as free assistance in the preservation of human life in many countries of the world. Organizations and communities of people will appear, united by the idea of ​​sacrificing their own blood for the sake of another person.

Not everything went smoothly in this matter. Many countries, including Russia, banned transfusions until 1926, and only when doctors proved the value of such an action were the bans lifted.

In 2005, at the next, 58th meeting of delegates of the World Health Assembly, held in Switzerland (Geneva), a decision will be made to declare a holiday of donation once a year and assign this holiday to the date June 14 - the birthday of Landsteiner, who contributed to the cause of donation his discovery made the biggest contribution.

At the Geneva Assembly, four major world organizations called for the adoption of World Donor Day:
- World Health Organization;
- International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent;
- International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations;
- International Society for Blood Transfusion;

How Donor Day is celebrated around the world

Since 2005, every date World holiday donor passes under some of its own motto. The events on this day are in tune with the stated theme. For example, attracting young people to become donors. Demonstration of health and new strength in connection with blood donation and renewal for this reason, wide publication of stories of real people who survived through blood transfusions, etc.

In preparation for World Blood Donor Day medical organizations use all possible levers:
- state television, radio;
- central and regional newspapers;
- Internet sites related to donation, as well as social media;
- events of regional significance, for example, honoring Honorary Donors, conversations in universities, at enterprises about the benefits of donation, etc.;
- in Russia there are benefits for donors (on vacation, weekends), and for donating blood 40 or more times, the title “ Honorary Donor Russia";

In our country, World Donor Day is widely celebrated. And perhaps the most the best gift There will be another donation for ourselves and people on this day. What if today your blood saves someone’s life, and someone, even for a short moment, will prolong their existence on this earth thanks to you?

World Blood Donor Day celebrated since 2004 on the initiative international organizations calling for voluntary and free blood donation - World Organization health (WHO), International Federation Red Cross and Red Crescent, International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations and International Society of Blood Transfusion. The date June 14 is dedicated to the birthday of the Austrian physician and immunologist Karl Landsteiner (1868-1943), awarded in 1930 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine for the discovery of human blood groups.


The holiday World Blood Donor Day is one of the youngest international holidays.


The world's health ministers, during the World Health Assembly in May 2005, unanimously adopted a statement of commitment and support for voluntary blood donation and decided to observe World Blood Donor Day on 14 June each year, in resolution WHA58.13.

First blood transfusion

The first case in the whole world of blood transfusion was done in 1818 in England. Dr. James Blundell transfused 500 milliliters of blood to his patient. Initially, the patient felt better after the procedure, improvements appeared, but died 52 hours later. But, despite the unsuccessful experience, the first step towards blood transfusion was taken. Later, to successfully carry out this procedure, a special apparatus and syringes were invented, as well as blood preservation. However, in some countries, including Russia, for a long time There were official bans on blood transfusions.

Goals and meaning of the holiday

The holiday "World Donor Day" is celebrated in 192 countries around the world. We can say with confidence that it is special and different from the rest. It was created to ensure that we all do not forget the enormous importance of blood donors.

It should be noted that on this day we have to remember the numerous problems that exist today in the donor movement.


Currently, in many parts of our planet there is a catastrophic shortage of donor blood. According to WHO, there are now 80 countries in the world that have low performance availability of donor blood. They have less than 10 donors per thousand people. Almost all of these countries are developing.

Fortunately, Russia is not yet on this list. However, not everything is so smooth here either; in our country there are now 13 donors per 1000 people. Moreover, this figure is the national average. In some Russian regions, people are even less conscious of this issue and do not strive to become donors. Thus, even in our capital, which is the most populous city in Russia, the number of blood donors is negligible and continues to decline.

Europeans and Americans are becoming more conscious about donating blood. In European countries there are 40 donors per 1000 people, and in the USA there are even 60 donors.

All Russians, at least once a year, should seriously think about this problem. After all, not so long ago our country this indicator ahead of almost all other countries.

Start of mass donation

It should be recalled that mass donation began in the USSR in 1926. At that time, donation was free of charge. Firstly, it was considered a manifestation of civic humanism, which Russians have always been proud of. Secondly, at that time the country's economy was destroyed, it was impossible to introduce paid donation.

In 1957, the USSR began even more powerful propaganda of the donor movement, which was supported by the government. Then a huge number of donors came to blood collection points. Over the past 20 years, the situation with donation in our country has worsened significantly.


However, this problem exists not only in Russia. It is for this reason that WHO has proposed focusing on increased attention promoting the donor movement in the world, especially among young people.

On June 14, various events related to blood donation are held around the world. Our country was also no exception.

Bye world science has not yet learned to artificially synthesize blood and its components. For this reason, it is donors who are practically the only hope sick and injured people in urgent need of blood transfusions. After all, none of us, unfortunately, are immune from serious illness or accident; we should not forget about this. The blood transfusion procedure is necessary after serious injuries and burns, when complex operations, during difficult childbirth. Donor blood helps maintain the life of patients with hemophilia or anemia, and is also necessary for cancer patients.

To become a donor...

It is important to know that not every person can become a blood donor. Naturally, before accepting blood, a person needs to be tested for the presence of various diseases. Otherwise, donor blood will not only not help the patient, but will also worsen the situation by infecting him, for example, with AIDS. The safest donors are people who donate blood on a regular basis. Can become a donor healthy man over 18 years old. At the same time, he must weigh at least 50 kg and have a blood pressure of at least 100 over 80. It is first necessary to undergo a medical examination.

An adult can lose about a liter of blood without danger to his life. One dose of donor blood is only 450 grams of blood. The human body can restore this amount of blood very quickly. It should be noted that such bloodletting is even useful. It stimulates the functioning of the endocrine and immune systems body.

Doctors have noticed that donors who regularly donate blood do not suffer from colds and flu. In addition, they are less likely to suffer from cancer and heart disease. vascular diseases. Beneficial Effects It also turns out to have an impact on a person’s mental state. We can say that donation prevents digestive disorders, atherosclerosis, liver and pancreas diseases. Regular blood donation helps to prolong youth, because... stimulates hematopoiesis and self-renewal of the body.


However, regular blood donation also involves some stress on the body. There are also some restrictions for donors. In our country, there are rules according to which whole blood can be donated no more than once every 60 days.

You cannot donate blood during menstruation, pregnancy and lactation, as well as after sleepless night. After this procedure, the donor should avoid large physical activity, you need to drink a lot and eat well.

Currently, voluntary blood donation is welcomed and supported by the state. The latter guarantees the donor the protection of his health and provides him with measures social support. Donors who donate blood for free in Russia forty or more times are awarded the “Honorary Donor of Russia” badge.

Russians often use blood donation to replenish their family or personal budget. The fact is that donors are provided with free food and a certain amount of money, as well as days off.


Every second, all over the world, people of all ages and backgrounds need blood transfusions for various health reasons. While the need for blood is universal, access to it by those who need it is, unfortunately, not universal. The shortage of blood is especially acute in developing countries, where the majority of the world's population lives.

On World Blood Donor Day, many countries will celebrate donors who donate blood for free, as well as events to promote donation.

World Blood Donor Day is dedicated to volunteers who donate their blood for free to save the lives of others.

June 14 is World Blood Donor Day. This date is not very well known in Russia, but in terms of its significance for humans it is the most important. Donor means “to give” in Latin. And this is the true truth - donation around the world is a gratuitous act, although some states try to somehow encourage their citizens. Giving your blood means giving someone life. This awareness of the donor's mission took a long time and was difficult.

World Blood Donor Day: the origins of World Blood Donor Day

In 1818, the first blood transfusion was performed in England. The man died anyway, but the first step in the most important task for the whole world was completed. Scientists have moved further along this path.

On June 14, 1868, Karl Landsteiner was born in Austria. He would later become an immunologist, study the properties of blood, discover the modern four groups, and receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine for this in 1930.

Once the four blood types are known, there will be far fewer deaths after transfusions. Doctors will begin to promote donation in every possible way as free assistance in preserving human life in many countries of the world. Organizations and communities of people will appear, united by the idea of ​​sacrificing their own blood for the sake of another person.

Not everything went smoothly in this matter. Many countries, including Russia, banned transfusions until 1926, and only when doctors proved the value of such an action were the bans lifted.

World Blood Donor Day: World Health Assembly

In 2005, at the next, 58th meeting of delegates of the World Health Assembly, held in Switzerland (Geneva), a decision will be made to declare a holiday of donation once a year and assign this holiday to the date June 14 - the birthday of Landsteiner, who contributed to the cause of donation his discovery made the biggest contribution.

At the Geneva Assembly, four major world organizations called for the adoption of World Donor Day:

  1. World Health Organization.
  2. International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
  3. International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations.
  4. International Society for Blood Transfusion.

World Blood Donor Day: the beginning of mass donation

It should be recalled that mass donation began in the USSR in 1926. At that time, donation was free of charge. Firstly, it was considered a manifestation of civic humanism, which Russians have always been proud of. Secondly, at that time the country's economy was destroyed, it was impossible to introduce paid donation.

In 1957, the USSR began even more powerful propaganda of the donor movement, which was supported by the government. Then a huge number of donors came to blood collection points. Over the past 20 years, the situation with donation in our country has worsened significantly.

However, this problem exists not only in Russia. It is for this reason that WHO proposed to pay increased attention to promoting the donor movement in the world, especially among young people.

On June 14, various events related to blood donation are held around the world. Our country was also no exception.

So far, world science has not yet learned to artificially synthesize blood and its components. For this reason, donors are practically the only hope for sick and injured people who urgently need blood transfusions. After all, none of us, unfortunately, are immune from serious illness or accident; we should not forget about this.

The blood transfusion procedure is necessary after serious injuries and burns, during complex operations, and during difficult childbirth. Donated blood helps maintain the lives of patients with hemophilia or anemia, and is also necessary for cancer patients.

The date is dedicated to the birthday of the Austrian physician and immunologist Karl Landsteiner (1868-1943), who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1930 for the discovery of human blood groups.

The success of the first World Donor Day led to the adoption by the World Health Assembly of a resolution in 2005 making the Day an annual observance.

World Blood Donor Day is intended to draw public attention to the issue of humanity's needs for safe blood and blood products.

Blood and blood product transfusions save millions every year human lives. It helps prolong the lives of patients suffering from life-threatening conditions and improve their quality of life. Transfusion of blood and blood products is necessary when carrying out complex medical and surgical procedures. It also plays a vital role in maternal and child health and during emergency responses to man-made and natural disasters.

The theme of the World Blood Donor Day 2018 campaign is “Blood Donation as an Act of Solidarity”. It refers to the fundamental human values ​​of altruism, respect, compassion and kindness that underlie voluntary blood donation systems.

Every year, about 112.5 million blood donations are collected worldwide. About half of these are in high-income countries, home to 19% of the world's population.

Adequate and reliable blood reserves can be ensured through regular, voluntary and unpaid blood donations on a sustainable basis. Regular, voluntary and unpaid blood donors are also the safest group of donors, as they have the lowest prevalence of blood-borne infections.

The Program involves 85 subjects Russian Federation. During the time that has passed since the beginning of its implementation, it has been possible to achieve complete satisfaction of medical institutions of each subject of the Russian Federation in blood components.

On July 21, 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the federal law"On the donation of blood and its components." This law adopted the general trend of the World Health Organization, according to which donation should be free of charge by 2020 throughout the world. Also, one of the main innovations of the law is the creation of a unified data bank of blood and people donating it.

The law also provides for social support measures for donors who donate blood free of charge, including persons awarded the titles “Honorary Donor of the USSR” and “Honorary Donor of Russia.” The main emphasis of the law is donating blood free of charge.

The number of honorary donors in Russia increases every year - from 577,672 in 2015 to 589,572 people in 2017. Any Russian who donates blood free of charge can become an honorary donor