• Home

Nationals top blood donors' list in UAE

Dr Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Health and Head of the Central Blood Transfusion and Research Centre (CBTRC), Sharjah made the announcement on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day being observed countrywide today.

The UAE, this year, has been chose by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to host the occasion this year being held under the title "Donating blood regularly."

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dr Amiri said that as per a survey done recently, blood donators from all other nationalities comprised 17.4 per cent. "The number of UAE blood donators has reached 5,775 in 2007, and we hope that the number is going to keep increasing," he added. A total of 81 different nationalities residing in the UAE donate blood.

The Indians ranked second in number in donating blood, standing at 15.17 per cent (2,963) followed by Syrians at 9.86 per cent (1,926). Jordanian nationals ranked fourth standing at 6.64 per cent (1,296), Egyptians stood at 8.94 pc (1,745), Iranians at 5.18 pc (1,012), Palestinians at 4.74 pc (872), Pakistanis at 4.7 pc (794), Iraqis at 3.19pc (622), Sudanese at 1.44 pc (282) followed by Yemenis, Omanis, Lebanese, Sri Lankans and Filipinos.

According to Dr Amiri, the UAE did not face any blood shortage. "Maybe some individual blood centres may be facing a shortage, but on the whole, the UAE is self-sufficient. The CBTRC is ready, at this moment, to provide 300 units of blood to anybody, anywhere in the UAE," he stressed.

CBTRC in Sharjah is the largest blood and reference centre in the region. There are, in addition, 13 other blood banks countrywide.

The 14 blood transfusion centres are now working according to international rules and regulations. The centre caters to all age groups - from the newborn to the very elderly - and was the only such centre in the country when first established.

The day is being coordinated by the WHO, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, The International Federation of Blood Donor Organisations and The International Society of Blood Transfusion.

Millions of people owe their lives to people who donate their blood freely and without any reward. However, the overwhelming majority of the world's population do not have access to safe blood.

Over 80 million units of blood are donated every year, but only 38 per cent are collected in developing countries where 82 per cent of the global population live, according to the World Blood Donor Day web site.

• UAE