The regional perspective
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) recognizes that ‘health security is a fundamental and indispensable prerequisite to global, regional, national and individual development’.
The IFRC’s health security priorities include:
- improving local, regional and international capacity to respond to disasters and public health emergencies
- increasing health promotion, disease prevention and disaster risk reduction in vulnerable communities
- increasing HIV/AIDS programming and advocacy
People have the right to expect that blood and blood products supplied to them are gathered and provided in a safe and sustainable way. The integrity with which blood programmes are administered is critical to building and maintaining community trust. The safety and integrity of a nation’s blood supply is fundamental to the security of its health system in order to:
- Reduce child mortality
- Improve maternal health
- Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
The IFRC supports the establishment of safe and sustainable blood systems, with a particular emphasis on voluntary non-remunerated blood donation (VNRBD). Voluntary non-paid blood donors, particularly those who donate blood regularly, provide the foundation for a safe, sustainable blood supply that meets the needs of all patients requiring blood transfusion.
Blood transfusion is an essential part of modern health care and a government has a duty to provide good healthcare for its citizens. A blood programme is a serious commitment in terms of financial and human resources.
National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies work with their countries’ ministries of health to determine the best way to use the strength of the IFRC. This strength is often in the area of education or mobilization of populations towards voluntary blood donation.
Celebration of the World Blood Donor Day | Bangkok | 14 June 2017
14 June , 2017 8:00 am - 5:00 pm UTC+7Annual Blood Donation Campaign 2017: “Good Health begins with donating blood every 3 month” | 27-28 March 2017 | Khon Kaen, Thailand
27 March , 2017 - 28 March , 2017Workshop on Communication Strategy for Blood Donation of Lao National Blood Transfusion Centre | 13-17 March 2017 | Lao PDR
13 March , 2017 - 17 March , 2017
e-mail: Health Officer, Dr. Pornsak Khortwong, at pornsak.khortwong@ifrc.org
Related videos
Guiding Documents
Making a difference – Recruiting voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors
This manual aims to serve as a framework for the development of national policies on safe blood in every country, the manual urges that all blood services should be established only on the basis of voluntary blood donation and that there should be support for the development of programmes for the education and recruitment of voluntary blood donors.
Resources Sharing our stories
The materials in the manual, Making a difference…Recruiting voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors, are designed for self-study and for reference. They are intended to give you ideas and suggestions for action you can take to effect change in your own working environment. The Resources complement those materials, showing how ideas might be implemented and acting as a stimulus for cooperation and partnership between blood services all over the world.
Towards 100% Voluntary Blood Donation – A Global Framework for Action – Blood Donation Community Based Health and First Aid (CBHFA)
Purpose Towards 100% Voluntary Blood Donation: A Global Framework for Action strengthens the collaboration between WHO and the in the goal to support national blood donor programmes in building a stable base of the safest possible blood donors to ensure…
- Manual: Development of Safe and Sustainable National Blood Programmes (August 2014)
- IFRC Blood Policy: Promoting Safe and Sustainable National Blood System
- Making a difference – PLAN : Recruiting voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors (2007)
- Make a difference – ACTION : Sharing our stories (Resources for recruiting voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors) (2007)
- Towards 100% Voluntary Blood Donation – A Global Framework for Action (2010)