On World Blood Donor Day Way to Transform Shridhar University Pilani Students Donate Blood

Online, June 14, 2010 (Newswire.com) - A vital component of health care is blood transfusion. The threat to life due to insufficient blood stocks and the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections calls for a safe and adequate blood supply for all those requiring transfusion. As the need for blood increases globally, young people can make an important contribution by donating blood and by motivating other young people to become donors.

The Fifty-Eighth World Health Assembly (WHA) which is the decision making body of WHO (World Health Organization - United Nations) in the year 2005 made a unanimous declaration of commitment and support for voluntary blood donation and Resolution WHA 58.13 designated World Blood Donor Day as an annual event to be held each year on 14 June. While this day creates awareness of the importance of voluntary blood donation and encourages more people to become regular blood donors, it also celebrates and thanks all those who voluntarily donate their blood without any reward.

The 2010 global campaign focuses on Young Donors, with the slogan "New blood for the world" and expects that a new generation of idealistic and motivated voluntary unpaid blood donors will form a pool that provides the safest blood possible for use wherever and whenever it is needed to save life. In events and activities around the world, youth would be the focus of the day.

While in India just about 50% of the blood the country needs every year is met through voluntary donation, in China the voluntary blood donation has gone up from 45% in year 2000 and is closing to 100% in recent times.

Statistics prepared by the Association of Voluntary Blood Donors' Forum (AVBDF) on the percentage of voluntary blood donation to the total blood collection in individual states during the last one year, shows that only five states Tripura, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Punjab and Maharashtra have achieved over 80%. However, Delhi, Rajasthan, Bihar etc are said to be running well below the national average in this context.

It is to be remembered that age group 18-25 years comprises nearly 70% of all blood donors and it is this age group which dominates university enrollments also.

Way to Transform Shridhar University Pilani Rajasthan India observed World blood Donor Day 2010 by voluntarily donating 20 units of blood at the Blood Bank in Birla Sarvajanik Hospital Pilani. The twenty member student staff team from Shridhar University was led by Pro Vice Chancellor Prof BR Natarajan and Public Relations Officer Dr Bir Singh. It is to be noted that out of the 17 students who came for blood donation, 15 were first time donors. Prof Natarajan who himself is a first time donor also briefed the students on various facets of blood donation like who can donate, who cannot donate as well as common myths about blood donation.

The students of Shridhar University have indeed taken up voluntary blood donation as a mission with passion.