Muhammed Nasiru is in his second year of senior secondary school at Government Secondary School in Abuja. He wrote the winning entry on the importance of voluntary blood donation essay competition marking the world blood donor day 2014.
Voluntary Blood Donation describes a situation when someone donates a portion of his/her blood to a blood bank or during blood donation drive, without expecting anything in return or expecting the blood to be given to any specific person.The primary importance of voluntary Blood Donation is the availability of safe, stable and sufficient blood in the blood banks, and at all times and does not wait for a specific emergency. In addition, crisis-driven blood donation is eliminated because the donor is not donating under duress as blood obtained during emergencies are usually infected due to the fact that the donor may not know or disclose his/her true medical history.Voluntary Blood Donation also ensures the availability of all blood types at all times to help patients whose blood group types are rare during emergencies.Moreover, Voluntary Blood Donation fosters love and unity in a nation. This is because, donating one’s precious blood is an act of love for mankind, a life-saving venture made by humanitarian individuals and it is worthy of emulation.Blood Donation programmes helps donors to know their health status because of series of test conducted before and after the donations. These tests have helped to eliminate the transfer of infectious diseases from the donors to the beneficiaries. This is achieved by waiting patiently through the window periods of the various viruses which may be present in the donated blood. The sick donors can now enjoy early medical interactions.Researches have shown that voluntary blood donation reinvigorates the donor, because, according to Health Secretary of Philippine, Mr. T. Ona, “humans do not lose blood when they give because the giver is refilled with new and fresher blood in no time”Voluntary Blood Donation programmes have curbed HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Hepatitis B & C, Syphilis and other life threatening diseases. For instance, the Pledge 25 Club 25 helps youths ages 18-25 to lead healthy life-styles to protect both themselves and the recipients of their blood.The benefits of this programme in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. That is why the voluntary Blood Donor Club of Nigeria was introduced in recognition of the importance the Federal Government attached to blood donation as one of the vital tools in achieving the Millennium Development Goals by establishing National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), backed up by Nigeria National Blood Policy, commissioned by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2005.In this country, Voluntary Blood Donation programmes have assuaged the various negative religious, cultural and social beliefs on blood transfusion. Today, a huge percent of dangerous myths, superstitions and negative beliefs are dispelled.Child mortality rate, HID/AIDS, Malaria and many diseases are combated in Nigeria. Maternal mortality is also curtailed because mothers who suffer pre, intra and post-partum haemorrhage are also helped.More employment opportunities are provided for medical professionals and graduates in various states to carry out the voluntary blood donation activities.Records have shown that the safest blood donors are voluntary. This explains why World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with International Federation of Red Cresent and Red Cross Societies (IFRCRCS), International Federation of Blood Donor Organization (FIODS), International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT)and the Save Blood Africa Project Initiated and Organised the World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) which is celebrated annually on 14th June.In Nigeria, and in many other parts of the world, blood demand is higher than supply. More advertising, campaigning, brochures, lectures, presentations, donor awareness programmes and interaction with donors on the benefits of voluntary blood donation are advocated, to ensure the availability of free, stable and sufficient supplies of safe blood, so that in no time, the WHO’s goal for all countries to obtain all blood supplies from unpaid donors by 2020 can be achieved.More blood! More lives!Muhammed Nasiru and well-wishersThis essay is published as written by the author, and with the permission of the author's school principal, Mrs. Rukaiyatu Husain.