Give blood for those who give life

On World Blood Donors Day today (June 14), lets take a pledge that no body in India dies due to non availability of blood donors. The World Health Organisation has set the target for all countries to obtain 100% blood supplies through voluntary unpaid donors by 2020. Let's also ensure that India becomes one of the first country to achieve that. The focus of this year's World Blood Donor Day campaign is "Safe blood for saving mothers". Every day, about 800 women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. The major complications that account for 80% of all maternal deaths are, severe bleeding (mostly bleeding after childbirth), infections (usually after childbirth) and high blood pressure during pregnancy.. According to a report on trends in maternal mortality between 1990 to 2010 released by UN Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organisation, UN Children's Fund and the World Bank,India and Nigeria accounted for a third of global maternal deaths, with India at 19% (56,000) and Nigeria at 14% (40,000). The goal of this year's World Blood Donors Day campaign - `Safe blood for saving mothers' is to increase awareness about why timely access to safe blood and blood products is essential for all countries as part of a comprehensive approach to prevent maternal deaths. In order to prevent mothers' mortality rate in the country which is caused mostly due to excess bleeding during pregnancies, we must continue to encourage non-governmental organizations, governments, international organizations, private companies and citizens to encourage everyone eligible to donate blood.