Number of blood donors surge by 40% in Abu Dhabi

The number of blood donors in Abu Dhabi last year has seen an impressive increase of 41 per cent over 2021, according to data gathered by Abu Dhabi Blood Bank Services.

According to the World Health Organisation, providing safe and adequate blood should be an integral part of every country’s national health care policy and infrastructure. As per WHO’s data, about 118.54 million blood donations are collected worldwide with 40 per cent in high-income countries.

Recently, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Blood Bank Services, honoured 30 regular blood donors and 25 organisations that have provided invaluable support to blood bank services in the emirate. The event took place in the presence of Dr Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, the Undersecretary of the DoH. The department has emphasised that blood donation is a humanitarian act that contributes to saving patients’ lives.

According to Abu Dhabi Blood Bank Services data, as many as 47,841 people donated their blood in 2022. The donors contributed to providing 59,167 units of blood to save the lives of many patients. In addition, 1,006 platelets donors donated a total of 10,041 platelets.

Donate, save lives

Donated blood units assist patients in need of transfusion, such as victims of road accidents, fire victims, anaemia patients (thalassaemia and sickle cell anaemia), women with pregnancy complications such as ectopic pregnancy and bleeding during pregnancy or childbirth, patients with bleeding disorders (haemophilia), patients undergoing surgery, cancer patients, patients undergoing organ transplants and neonatal transplants accompanied by complications.

Benefits to donors

There are great health benefits for donors as it helps them to discover possible health problems, reduce the level of excess iron in the blood, stimulate the body to produce blood cells, reduce the risk of heart, liver and cancer diseases, and cholesterol levels.

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