To mark the World Health Organization’s World Blood Donor Day, the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, in partnership with Wateen, will host a number of mobile blood-donation facilities around the local community to raise awareness of the innumerable benefits of this important voluntary act.
Donors from the local area will be able to give blood aboard the dedicated donation trucks, provided by Wateen. Trucks will also be stationed outside the DGDA headquarters so that staff there can also participate in the day’s event.
World Blood Donor Day, which is held on June 14 each year, was launched in 2005 as a joint initiative between the WHO and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to raise awareness of the need for safe supplies of blood and blood products, and to thank blood donors for the life-saving gifts they provide voluntarily.
The slogan for the 2022 World Blood Donor Day is “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives.” This aims to draw attention to the role that voluntary blood donations play in saving lives and enhancing connections within communities.
The day is one of 11 annual official, global public health campaigns organized by the WHO, which also include World Health Day, World Immunization Week and World Malaria Day, among others.
Donated blood is essential to help patients survive surgeries, cancer treatments, chronic illnesses and traumatic injuries. The results of blood donations for patients can be lifesaving and it all starts with generous donations from individuals in the community.
Ahlam Althunayan, the community engagement director at the DGDA, said: “We are so glad to be welcoming these blood-donation trucks to Diriyah. A service that can offer patients a high quantity of safe blood and blood products is a key component of an effective national health system. The provision of these trucks is testament to the Kingdom’s successes in this regard.
“One of the things we are trying to do in Diriyah is provide our residents with rewarding charitable opportunities to give back to their community. We equally want to pay tribute to those selfless individuals who have already come forward to donate their blood for people unknown to them.”
It is the DGDA’s hope that the provision of mobile blood-donation facilities will contribute to the enhancement of Saudi Arabia’s already effective blood donor program, while also playing a part in creating warm social ties among the community and strengthening a united Diriyah.
