World Blood Donor Day celebrates its 10th edition this Friday, June 14. This is an opportunity to recall some important key figures to stay motivated and mobilized: according to figures from the World Health Organization, around 100 million blood donations are collected each year around the world. Among these donations, nearly 50% are collected in rich countries while they represent only 15% of the world population.
Last year, on the same World Blood Donor Day, more than 21,000 donations were made in France. “A record to beat this year!” launches the French Blood Establishment in a press release.
The organization reminds us that we must not forget the blood needs: 10,000 donations are needed every day to cover the needs of patients. Thanks to the mobilization of donors and the 40,000 mobile blood drives organized per year, 1 million patients are treated each year.
We also note that the majority of donations (51%) for 2012 come from women. Regarding their age, 42.4% of donations are made by 18-39 year olds while 50-64 year olds represent more than half of donors with 54.4% of donations in 2012.