Sri Lanka to host World Blood Donor Day 2014

Sri Lanka to host World Blood Donor Day 2014

'Safe blood for saving mothers'

Sri Lanka will host the World Blood Donor Day 2014 on June 14 at a ceremony at the BMICH, under the patronage of Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena.

Sri Lanka is the first country in the region to host this global event. Thailand was the only Asian country which had the opportunity to host it before, WHO Country Representative Dr. Firdosi Rustom Mehta said. 

Addressing a special press briefing at the National Blood Centre,Dr. Mehta said Sri Lanka will show once again that it can host global events. The World Blood Donor Day 2014 is held under the theme 'Safe blood for saving mothers'. Sri Lanka has a world class blood transfusion service which led to WHO's support in holding the event in Sri Lanka. Dr. Mehta said after suffering from 30 years of war and being a lower middle income country, Sri Lanka has proved that millions of dollars are not required to have a world class blood transfusion service and to bring down maternal and infant mortality rates. "Sri Lanka is a trail blazer.

"Only 60 countries in the world have voluntary blood donating systems and Sri Lanka is one of them," Dr. Mehta said.