Uganda has today joined the rest of the world to celebrate the World Blood Donor Day. Millions of Ugandans have today freely donated blood in different parts of the country.
Over 80 million units of blood units are donated every year across the world but only about 38% of this is collected in developing countries including Uganda.
blood donation saves lives
The Director of Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS), Dorothy Kyeyune says World Blood Donor Day is a day dedicated to thanking and celebrating voluntary non-remunerated blood donors.
This is the 58th World Blood Donor Day. The day is being celebrated under the theme, ‘new blood for the world.’
The day has been marked in Uganda countrywide in all Uganda’s regional blood banks and collection centres.
The blood collection centres are in Nakasero Kampala, Arua, Gulu, Mbale, Fort portal, Masaka, Mbarara and Hoima.
Uganda Blood Transfusion Services collects blood with all the different blood groups O, A, B and AB. Uganda Blood Transfusion Services started in 1989.