2018-06-14 Thu

When you donate blood you gift life to a person who needs it. Donating blood is one of the noblest and giving acts that helps save millions of lives each year. With this gift, patients suffering from life-threatening conditions can live longer; life is blessed.

It is one of the eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The theme for 2018 is "Be there for someone else. Give blood. Share life."

Every year, we celebrate World Blood Donor Day on 14th June to honor and thank all blood donors for their voluntary gift of life-saving blood. Established since 2004, this day also raises awareness for the need for safe blood and blood products. It helps reduce death rate during pregnancy as availability of sufficient and safe blood and blood products helps reduce deaths due to severe bleeding during and post childbirth.

This day is celebrated on international level and in honor of Karl Landsteiner, a great scientist who won the Noble Prize for the discovery of ABO blood group system.

India Post issued this 25 Paisa commemorative stamp on 1st October 1976 portraying hand holding hearts and donating blood.