World Blood Donor Day To Be Launched In Thailand

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World Blood Donor Day to be launched in Thailand

BANGKOK: -- The World Blood Donor Day will be launched in Thailand on June 24 to provide recognition and gratitude to voluntary blood donors and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the King's Accession to the throne.

The event, with the theme "I'm... and I save lives", is the first to be hosted in a developing country. The opening ceremony is scheduled to kick off on June 14 at Lumpini Park and National Blood Center in Bangkok.

World Blood Donor was initially launched in South Africa in 2004 to commemorate birthday anniversary of Dr. Karl Landsteiner who discovered ABO blood group.

Dr. Rachanee O'Charoen, Director of the National Blood Center, said Tuesday Thailand has successful carried out national voluntary blood campaign, which serves as a model for other countries.

Of blood donors in Thailand, 95 percent are voluntary. The country has a low rate of transfusion-transmissible infections such as HIV and hepatitis viruses among their blood donor populations.

At present, the kingdom recruits 1.2 million blood units per year, or 2 percent of the total population. Still, it is short of 1.6 million needed. Among the voluntary blood donors, 65 percent donate one time every year. One healthy person can donate 4 times per year on a regular basis.

Rachanee urged a strengthening of the efforts in promoting voluntary blood donation in Thailand and in the world despite the continuous increase in the donation each year.

The opening ceremony and a grand scale parade on June 14 will be broadcast live via a global network. Senior officials and representatives from Thai Red Cross Society, Ministry of Public Health, World Health Organization and other transnational organizations will participate in the celebrating event.

--Agencies 2006-05-09