Today is World Blood Donor Day

AABB joins the World Health Organization (WHO), corporate partners and blood collection organizations everywhere in honoring volunteer blood donors for their generous, life-saving donations on World Blood Donor Day, June 14.

Held each year on the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the “father of blood grouping,” World Blood Donor Day aims to thank blood donors worldwide and increase public awareness of the need for regular, volunteer blood donation. World Blood Donor Day also highlights the need for committed, year-round blood donation to maintain adequate supplies and achieve universal and timely access to safe blood transfusion.

This year’s World Blood Donor Day theme, “Give blood, give plasma, share life, share often,” focuses on patients who require life-long transfusion support and underlines the role every single person can play by giving the valuable gift of blood or plasma. WHO’s World Blood Donor Day web page includes key messages and a shareable poster that illustrates this year’s theme. AABB encourages member centers to share their World Blood Donor Day activities using the Twitter hashtag #WorldBloodDonorDay.

Additionally, AABB recognizes that there are ways to support blood safety and availability outside of blood donation. Individuals who are unable to donate blood can still contribute to the mission of World Blood Donor Day by making a gift to support blood and biotherapies research through the AABB Foundation. The AABB Foundation drives innovation through early-career scientific research and education grants that reinforce AABB's mission to support donor and patient safety and care.