World Blood Day Observed

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Fatoumatta K Saidykhan And Prince Touray

15 June 2011

The Gambia Tuesday joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Blood Day. The event was held at Serrekunda Health Centre in the Kanifing Municipality. The celebration was meant to raise awareness on the need for saving blood and blood products as well as to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.

The theme for this year’s celebration was: “More blood, more life.”

Speaking at the occasion, Hon. Fatim Badjie, minister of Health and Social Welfare, said the theme “More blood, more life”, reinforces the urgent need for more people to become life savers by volunteering to donate blood regularly. She said her Ministry is committed to ensuring that morbidity and mortality is reduced, adding that blood donation is very important in saving lives. “World-wide, at least 90 million units of blood are donated each year to save lives and improve health,” she noted.

While pointing out that the demand for blood for transfusion continues to increase, Minister Badjie urged all Gambians and non-Gambians to donate blood voluntarily to save more lives especially our dear mothers during delivery. She commended the First Lady, Madam Zeinab Yahya Jammeh for being at the forefront of this humanitarian campaign.

For his part, Momodou Gassama on behalf of Dr Thomas Sukwa of the WHO, said in order to ensure substantial reduction of death among children, women and men, people should take vigorous and appropriate measures not only to increase blood collection, but to set up functional and effective system of distraction. He took the opportunity to thank the voluntary blood donor associations for their self-sacrifice and invaluable contribution to improving the health of the population.

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