Voluntary non-remunerated blood donation

The safest blood donors are voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors from low-risk populations. The World Health Organization’s goal is for all countries to obtain all their blood supplies through voluntary unpaid donors, in accordance with World Health Assembly resolution 28.72, which was adopted back in 1975.

Key resources

Blood donor selection and counselling
Towards 100% voluntary blood donation: a global framework for action
Melbourne Declaration on voluntary blood donation
World Blood Donor Day, 14 June

WHO, in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations (FIODS) and the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) sponsors World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) which is celebrated every year on 14 June. A global event is held to promote voluntary, unpaid blood donation and to celebrate unpaid donors who give blood regularly.

More about the World Blood Donor Day
Highlights

Club 25: reaching young blood donors

WHO, in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCRCS), has played a leading role in promoting the wider application of the Pledge 25/Club 25 peer education and promotion programmes pioneered in Zimbabwe in which young people aged 18–25 pledge to give 20 donations of blood before the age of 25 and to lead healthy lifestyles to protect both themselves and the recipients of their blood from HIV and other infectious agents.