Janet Ogundepo In commemoration of World Blood Donor Day, SustainablePEOPLE, a group dedicated to creating awareness about social responsibility and sustainability, embarked on a campaign to educate the public about the significance of blood donation. This event themed “20 Years of Celebrating Giving: Thank You, Blood Donors” was held in partnership with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service, recently at the Gbagada Central Hospital, Lagos state. The event culminated in some members of the group donating blood to the nation’s blood bank as a service to humanity and to bridge the gap in blood supply donations nationwide.
World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14 every year to raise awareness of the need for blood donation and to celebrate voluntary blood donors globally. In her welcome address, the Health Safety and Environment Manager at VitaFoam Nigeria PLC and team lead of the SustainablePEOPLE Blood Donor Drive, Abiola Aminu stated that the event was to raise awareness of the urgent need for increased blood donation in the country. Aminu said, “We are doing this to mark World Blood Donor Day and to raise awareness about the critical need for blood donation.
“In Nigeria, the demand for blood is increasing due to the rise in specialised medical cases such as leukaemia and cancer, but our blood banks are running low. This campaign is our response to that urgent need. “Before now, there wasn’t much awareness about the importance of blood donation.
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