• On June 14, 2024, World Blood Donor Day will celebrate its 20th anniversary with the theme: “20 years of celebrating giving: thank you, blood donors!”

• This milestone provides an opportunity to thank blood donors worldwide for their life-saving contributions and emphasize their significant impact on patients and donors.

• Annually, 118.5 million blood donations are collected worldwide, 40% of which come from high-income countries, representing only 16% of the global population.

• In low-income countries, 54% of blood transfusions are given to children under five, while in high-income countries, 76% are for patients over 60.

• Between 2008 and 2018, voluntary unpaid blood donations increased by 10.7 million.

• Seventy-nine countries now obtain over 90% of their blood supply from voluntary, unpaid donors.

• However, 54 countries still depend on family/replacement or paid donors for more than half of their supply.

• Also, out of 171 reporting countries, only 56 produce plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMP) through plasma fractionation.

• Ninety-one countries imported all their PDMP, 16 reported no use of PDMP, and eight did not provide data.

• The plasma volume for fractionation per 1000 people varies widely among 45 reporting countries, from 0.1 to 52.6 liters, with a median of 5.2 liters.

• This year, the campaign seeks to promote a culture of regular blood donation among young people and the general public and to enhance the diversity and sustainability of the blood donor pool.

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