The World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan marked World Blood Donor Day on June 14 by emphasizing the universal demand for blood in the country.
“The need for blood is universal. Every single blood or plasma donation is a precious lifesaving gift and key to saving lives,” said Dr. Alaa Abouzeid, Team Lead for Health Emergencies in WHO Afghanistan.
WHO also provided insights regarding the operations of blood banks and the distribution of blood bags within the country. The organization supported 67 blood banks, and 30,500 blood bags were distributed monthly by blood banks. Of these, 7,800 blood bags were distributed by Kabul National Blood Bank. In low-income countries, 54% of blood transfusions are given to children under 5 years of age.
WHO thanked its donors, including the European Union (EU), the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (UNCEFR), Italy, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Afghanistan, for supporting the organization’s work to ensure safe and sufficient blood is available, especially in times of emergencies.
This year, the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health has not published statistics regarding the reserves in the country’s blood banks.
According to WHO, the culture of blood donation in Afghanistan is weak, and there is still apprehension among citizens about donating blood.
