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World Blood Donor Day, Celebrating the gift of blood

14 June

World blood donor day 2013

WBDD is celebrated globally on 14 June every year

This annual celebration aims to create awareness of the need for safe blood for transfusion and to highlight the importance of blood donation. WBDD is also a day to celebrate and thank those people throughout the world who donate blood.

The global event is jointly sponsored by four core agencies: the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Federation of Blood Donor Organisations (IFBDO) and the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT).

A Global Event & the 10th Anniversary of WBDD

The global event for WBDD was held in Paris, France, on 14 June 2013 and was hosted by the French national blood service, Etablissement Français du Sang (ESF).

The EFS organised events and street activities at Gare Montparnasse, Paris, on 13-15 June, for the 10th Anniversary of WBDD. An international symposium and other activities also allowed the public to discover the importance of giving blood.

The focus of this year’s campaign was "blood donation is a gift that saves lives" and the slogan was "Give the gift of life: donate blood".

Read the Media Alert with the programme for World Blood Donor Day 2013

The EDQM, Council of Europe

For many years, the Council of Europe has been supporting WBDD, with the EDQM offering support to all Council of Europe member states in preparing for the celebrations. Involvement in this special occasion allows for the promotion of the three major principles in the area of blood transfusion, which are: the achievement of self-sufficiency, the protection of the health of blood donors and recipients and the non-commercialisation of substances of human origin by voluntary and non-remunerated donation.

For more information on World Blood Donor Day, please visit the WHO website.

For more information on World Blood Donor Day in France, please visit the EFS website

If you are interested in getting involved or would like to find out where to give blood in your country, visit the website of your local blood donation centre or click on the contacts provided on the map below.