Brussels, 14/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - Celebrating the World Blood Donor Day, for which the slogan is “blood donors, all heroes”, the European Commission underlines how important it is to have safe blood supplies and encourages all European citizens to join the ranks of responsible voluntary donors. “Blood is life. Each and every one of us may need blood to recover from major surgery or a severe accident. For many Europeans with chronic disease such as haemophilia or thalassaemia, blood is a constant necessity. Blood makes a difference. This is why, today, I wish to pay tribute to all donors and to invite Europeans to show solidarity with those in need and donate blood. Become a donor, become a hero”, encouraged John Dalli, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy.
Over 500 million EU citizens depend on blood donated by fewer than 15 million donors. This is insufficient to meet the needs of all the Europeans who depend on blood to survive emergencies or to live with a chronic disease that requires regular transfusions. Also, the demand for blood is growing as the population grows older and diseases related to age such as cancer and hip fractures, whose treatments often lead to surgical intervention, therefore mean a growing need for blood. In addition to the problem of blood shortage, there is another major problem that must be constantly managed by national health authorities - namely the use-by date of blood. Blood cannot be stored indefinitely and supplies of blood must therefore be regularly renewed. The EU legislation contributes to ensuring blood donations are safe and of top quality, both for donors and those receiving blood, the Commission states. It defines the criteria of admissibility and helps donors make responsible decisions on what is the right moment to give blood. It also demands that all donated blood in the EU be tested, and imposes quality requirements as to how professionals must handle collected or donated blood. (IL/transl.jl)