Ethiopia Commences World Blood Donor Day 2014

Celebrations

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National Blood Bank in Addis Ababa

Give blood for those who give life. Safe blood for saving mothers.
World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) was celebrated across the globe on 14 June 2014, with the
theme "Give blood for thos who give life. Safe blood for saving mothers". Every day, about 800
women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. Severe bleeding during delivery
and after childbirth is a major cause of mortality, morbidity and long-term disability. The goal of
the World Blood Donor Day 2014 campaign is to increase awareness about why timely access to
safe blood and blood products is essential for all countries as part of a comprehensive approach
to prevent maternal deaths.
In Ethiopia, the campaign kicked off on 13 June 2014 with a Press Conference at the National
Blood Bank Service in Addis Ababa with the same theme, and will continue until 20 July in a
series of celebratory activities. Challenges in the Ethiopian context, and achievements so far
relating to blood safety, voluntary blood donation and its impact on maternal survival were
discussed with members of the Media present at the Conference. It was underscored that
ensuring availability of safe blood at all health facilities would contribute to Ethiopias efforts to
meet MDG 5 relating to the reduction of maternal deaths by ensuring that the lives of expecting
mothers will not be endangered in case of emergencies for lack of blood for life-saving
transfusion.
Highlights of the Campaign
On 14 June, the WBDD celebrations commenced by launching a week-long blood drive on the
Ethio-Cuban Square in front of the Post Office in Addis Ababa, where blood was collected from
volunteer blood donors. On 57 July, another blood drive will be held on the same spot.
On 13 July, a 1.5 km Walk for Blood will take place from Cuban Square to Zewditu Hospital,
and on 20 July, a meeting will be held with regular blood donors. The regular blood donors will
be honored during the meeting in the presence of high level representatives from WHO, the
Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

WHO has been providing technical assistance and support to expand and consolidate the blood
safety programme so as to establish efficient and sustainable national blood transfusion services
that can assure the quality, safety and adequacy of blood and blood products to meet the needs of
deserving patients since 2004. A comprehensive situation analysis was done, standards,
guidelines, blood policy and plan and provision of technical support to its implementation has
been provided by WHO through the years. Since 2010, WHO supported the restructuring of the
blood transfusion services through establishment of the National Blood Transfusion Service
(NBTS) under the FMoH as well as transitioning of services from the Ethiopian Red Cross
Society (ERCS) to the FMoH. A total of 25 blood banks have been established to cover the
transfusion needs of hospitals within 100km radius, thus improving access to the service.
WHO has, over the years, conducted several trainings; for example, 206 newly recruited blood
bank staff were trained in a number of workshops across the country in 2013, enabling the FMoH
and RHBs to establish services in 12 new blood banks. At the end of the year, the National Blood
Transfusion Service was awarded the title of Best Performing Directorate of the FMoH in the
Ministrys internal balanced score card evaluation of the last six months of 2013. WHO support
to the FMoH is funded by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Every year, World Blood Donors Day is celebrated on 14 June, the birthday of Dr Karl
Landsteiner (14 June 1868 26 June 1943) who discovered the human ABO blood group system,
paving way for successful transfusions. [It is notable that Dr Landsteiner also discovered the
polio virus in 1909 with Constantin Levaditi and Erwin Popper.]
For more information, please contact Dr Yohannes Kebede Haile, Blood Safety Programme
Coordinator, WHO Ethiopia; email: yohannesk@who.int

PHOTOS: WHO Ethiopia/ Julie Pudlowski & Loza Mesfin Tesfaye

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