World Blood Donor Day 2026; June 14th.

FORUM: "One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives." World Blood Donor Day 2026. The global campaign focused on four primary goals to address worldwide blood shortages and unequal access to safe transfusions:

Sustained Growth: Driving long-term increases in regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donations to ensure resilience in local health systems.
Public Awareness: Highlighting the critical, life-saving impact of blood and plasma donations to inspire a new generation of regular donors.
Promoting Values: Celebrating the vital contributions of blood donors and promoting the community values of solidarity, compassion, and collective responsibility.
Mobilizing Investment: Encouraging governments and development partners to invest in national blood programs to achieve universal access to safe blood transfusions.

Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #bloodonors Transfusions, #GiveBlood, #GivePlasma, #blooddonors, #14june, #WorldBloodDonorDay, #BloodDonations.

EVENT: On June 14th 2026, the World Blood Donor Day was celebrated under the official WHO campaign slogan, "One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives." The global initiative highlighted the vital need for voluntary, unpaid blood and plasma donations to maintain safe, sustainable health systems worldwide. 

How to get involved in the Campaign ''Drove Action''?

The WHO introduced an interactive web platform presenting the Drop Your Drop Initiative, that allowed individuals globally to symbolically pledge to give blood, "adding their drop" to a unified, worldwide movement.

CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: The WHO and PAHO published dedicated toolkits, which included the 2026 World Blood Donor Day Poster to help regional health organizations spread awareness. 

Educational Resources: The WHO have highlighted the Global Status Report on Blood Safety and Availability, urging local health systems to strengthen donor screening and testing services.

 

If you'd like to get involved, I can help you: Locate a blood drive or donation center; Check the eligibility requirements for your next donation; Learn more about how your specific blood type is used to save lives and Let me know how you'd like to proceed!

World Blood Donor Day 2025; June 14th.

FORUM: “Give blood, give hope: together we save lives.” World Blood Donor Day 2025. This year’s campaign slogan highlights the life-changing impact blood donors have on those in need. It celebrates the power of community and solidarity in saving lives through the simple act of giving blood. The campaign seeks to inspire by sharing real stories of people whose lives were saved thanks to blood donation or personal experiences from donors themselves, encouraging regular donors to keep giving, and motivating healthy individuals, especially young adults, to become first-time donors. The objectives of the World Blood Donor Day 2025 campaign are to:

- Raise public awareness about the critical need for blood and plasma donations and the impact they have on patients' lives.
- Encourage both new and existing donors to give blood regularly, helping to ensure a stable and sufficient blood supply.
- Highlight the positive impact of blood donors on the health and well-being of others and promote the values of solidarity, compassion, and community through blood donation.
- Mobilize support from governments and development partners to invest in and sustain national blood programs to achieve universal access to safe blood transfusion worldwide.

Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #bloodonors Transfusions, #GiveBloodGiveHope, #GiveBlood, #GivePlasma, #blooddonors, #14june, #WorldBloodDonorDay, #BloodDonations.

EVENTS: On June 14th, 2025, the WHO, its partners and communities across the world will unite behind the theme to mark the World Blood Donor Day 2025. Activities may include commemorative events, meetings and workshops, donor appreciation ceremonies, social networking campaigns, special media broadcasts, musical and artistic events to thank blood donors, the publication of impactful stories and other activities that help to promote the theme of this year’s World Blood Donor Day. The goals of the event is to raise awareness of the life-saving role of blood and plasma donations; to encourage regular donations from both first timers and long-time donors; To promote values of compassion, community, and solidarity through giving; To call on governments to invest in sustainable national blood programs. Register to participate!

KEY MESSAGES: This year’s campaign reminds us that:

• - Safe blood saves lives. A single donation can help save up to three lives.

• - Every blood donation is a gift of hope. It can mean the difference between life and death for patients in need of transfusions.

• - Blood donation is a collective effort and a powerful act of solidarity. By coming together as a community of donors, we ensure a steady and safe blood supply for all who need it.

• - Anyone, anywhere, who needs a transfusion should have timely access to safe blood. Yet in many cases, particularly in emergencies or where donation systems are still developing, the demand often outpaces the supply.

• - Everyone who can donate blood should consider making regular voluntary, unpaid donations, so that all countries have adequate and reliable blood supplies.

• - Access to safe blood and blood product is essential for universal health coverage and a key component of effective health systems.

• - Governments and partners must invest in strong national blood programs to ensure universal access to safe blood transfusions.

• - Thank you to all blood donors for your invaluable contributions in bringing hope and saving lives.

Key messages also align with the year-long World Health Day campaign focused on maternal and newborn health: Give blood, give hope. Support maternal and child health for healthy beginnings, hopeful futures!

• -14 million women hemorrhage during childbirth every year. Timely access to safe blood transfusion is crucial for appropriate response and saving lives.

• - Severe bleeding during and after childbirth is a top cause of maternal death, particularly in developing countries.

• - Millions of babies and young children are also at risk: severe anemia, often resulting from malnutrition and malaria, claim many young lives.

• - Timely access to safe blood transfusions can prevent maternal and child deaths.

• - A blood donation can save a mother. A baby. A future.

SURVEY: Improve the impact of our public health campaigns by responding to this survey.

STATEMENTS: Read the Message from the WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on World Blood Donor Day 2025; June 14th.

Other statements: Read the Message from Dr Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO on World Blood Donor Day 2025; The Message of the WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Dr Hanan Balkhy on World Blood Donor Day 2025; June 14th, and the Message of the WHO Regional Director for Africa; Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, on World Blood Donor Day 2025; June 14th.

World Blood Donor 2024; June 14th.

FORUM: “20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors!.” World Blood Donor Day 2024. This celebration is an excellent and timely opportunity to thank blood donors across the world for their life-saving donations over the years and honour the profound impact on both patients and donors. It is also a timely moment to address continued challenges, and accelerate progress towards a future where safe blood transfusion is universally accessible.

The objectives of the campaign is:

• To thank and recognize the millions of voluntary blood donors who have contributed to the health and well-being of millions of people around the world.
• To showcase the achievements and challenges of national blood programmes and share best practices and lessons learned.
• To highlight the continuous need for regular, unpaid blood donation to achieve universal access to safe blood transfusion.
• To promote a culture of regular blood donation among young people and the general public and increase the diversity and sustainability of the blood donor pool.

Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #GiveBlood, #GivePlasma, #14june, #WorldBloodDonorDay, #BloodDonations.

EVENTS: On June 14th, 2024, the WHO, its partners and communities across the world will unite behind the theme to mark the World Blood Donor Day 2024. This year, we will commemorate the milestone of the 20th anniversary and the profound impact of blood donation on the lives of patients and donors. The campaign serves as an opportunity to express gratitude to blood plasma and platelet donors in the world for their lifesaving donations. Moreover, it calls for action, motivating more individuals to join the global movement of blood donation.

• June 13, 2024 - WBDD 2024 Webinar: Experiences in voluntary blood donation and organization of services.
• June 14, 2024 - The regional launch of the WBDD 2024 campaign.

STATEMENTS: Read the Message from the WHO Director General on World Blood Donor Day 2024; June 14th, Message from Dr Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO on World Blood Donor Day 2024 and the Message of the WHO Regional Director for Africa on World Blood Donor Day 2024; June 14th.

KEY MESSAGES

• Safe blood saves lives.
• Blood is needed by women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anaemia, often resulting from malaria or malnutrition, accident victims and surgical and cancer patients.
• Regular blood donation by a sufficient number of healthy people is needed to ensure that blood will always be available whenever and wherever it is needed.
• While the need for blood is universal, access to blood is not. Blood shortages are acute in low- and middle-income countries.
• Every single blood or plasma donation is a precious lifesaving gift; regular donation is the key to building a safe and sustainable supply.
• Wide participation of the population in regular blood and plasma donations ensure that everyone can access blood and plasma proteins when they need it.
• Ensuring the safety and well-being of blood and plasma donors is critical; it helps build commitment to regular donations.
• Thank you, blood donors. Your selfless donations have had a profound impact on the lives and well-being of hundreds of millions of people, as well as their families and communities across the world.

What you can do

Everyone

• Be a voluntary blood donor and an inspiration to others.
• Commit to being a regular donor and give blood throughout the year.
• Encourage your friends and family to become regular blood donors.
• Volunteer with the blood service to reach out to members of your community, provide care to donors, and help manage blood donation sessions/drives.
• Find out your blood type and register as a blood donor.
• Participate in World Blood Donor Day with your social networks.

Ministries of Health

• Organize and participate in (virtual) activities to celebrate World Blood Donor Day, promoting voluntary unpaid blood donation to the public, across government and to other sectors.
• Acknowledge the crucial role of well-organized, committed voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors in ensuring a safe and sufficient blood supply during normal and emergency times.
• Provide resources and infrastructure to facilitate voluntary blood donation.
• Support the development of nationally coordinated blood transfusion services that provide equitable access to safe and quality assured blood transfusions for the whole population.
• Put quality assurance systems in place for blood and blood products.
• Speak to media about the importance of blood donation and the successes and challenges of your country in meeting national needs for blood.

National blood transfusion services

• Disseminate information about the importance of giving blood.
• Distribute campaign materials that you can download from the World Blood Donor Day campaign website.
• Organize a virtual World Blood Donor Day celebration. This could include: inviting prominent politicians, celebrities and sporting heroes to make videos or communicate on the importance of giving blood;
• Producing and disseminating promotional materials through your web site and social channels; setting up virtual visits of blood centres and inviting the public to learn about blood donation and transfusion; and promoting blood donation success stories and heroic blood donors to your media.
• Improve the infrastructure for blood donation and blood donor care.
• Focus attention on donor health and care and provide quality service to blood donors.

Who can give blood

Most people can give blood if they are in good health. There are some basic requirements one need to fulfill in order to become a blood donor. Below are some basic eligibility guidelines:
Age

You are aged between 18 and 65.

• In some countries national legislation permits 16–17 year-olds to donate provided that they fulfil the physical and hematological criteria required and that appropriate consent is obtained.
• In some countries, regular donors over the age of 65 may be accepted at the discretion of the responsible physician. The upper age limit in some countries are 60.

 
Weight

You weigh at least 50 kg.

•  In some countries, donors of whole blood donations should weigh at least 45 kg to donate 350 ml ± 10%.

Health

You must be in good health at the time you donate.

You cannot donate if you have a cold, flu, sore throat, cold sore, stomach bug or any other infection.

If you have recently had a tattoo or body piercing you cannot donate for 6 months from the date of the procedure. If the body piercing was performed by a registered health professional and any inflammation has settled completely, you can donate blood after 12 hours.

If you have visited the dentist for a minor procedure you must wait 24 hours before donating; for major work wait a month.

You must not donate blood If you do not meet the minimum haemoglobin level for blood donation:A test will be administered at the donation site. In many countries, a haemoglobin level of not less than 12.0 g/dl for females and not less than 13.0 g/dl for males as the threshold.
Travel

Travel to areas where mosquito-borne infections are endemic, e.g. malaria, dengue and Zika virus infections, may result in a temporary deferral.

Many countries also implemented the policy to defer blood donors with a history of travel or residence for defined cumulative exposure periods in specified countries or areas, as a measure to reduce the risk of transmitting variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) by blood transfusion.
Behaviours

You must not give blood:

• If you engaged in “at risk” sexual activity in the past 12 months
• Individuals with behaviours below will be deferred permanently: 
• Have ever had a positive test for HIV (AIDS virus)
• Have ever injected recreational drugs.

In the national blood donor selection guidelines, there are more behavior eligibility criteria. Criteria could be different in different countries.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Following pregnancy, the deferral period should last as many months as the duration of the pregnancy.

It is not advisable to donate blood while breast-feeding. Following childbirth, the deferral period is at least 9 months (as for pregnancy) and until 3 months after your baby is significantly weaned (i.e. getting most of his/her nutrition from solids or bottle feeding).

More information on eligibility to donate

National eligibility guidelines must be followed when people donate blood in the blood service in specific countries. To find out whether any health conditions, medications, professions or travel history to could affect your ability to give blood, please search for detailed information in the national/local blood services.

Blood – the most precious gift.

Safe blood saves lives. Regular blood donation by a sufficient number of healthy people is needed to ensure that blood will always be available whenever and wherever it is needed.