Khalifa urges blood donors to continue honourable act regularly

Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has urged blood donors to continue performing their honourable act on regular basis, and stressed the need for continuing voluntary non-remunerated blood donations.

Shaikh Khalifa also emphasised that the health and safety of blood donors is an important issue.

This came during Shaikh Khalifa's speech delivered to mark UAE's declaration on blood safety, which coincides with the World Blood Donor Day.

Shaikh Khalifa said in his speech: "It is with great honour and gratitude that we, celebrate this global event, World Blood Donor Day, on the 14th of June every year.

"In 2008, the theme of the world blood donor day is giving blood regularly to create a wider awareness of the need for safe blood for transfusion and the importance of having safe blood easily and adequately available for those who need it. World blood donor day 2008 is also dedicated to regular blood donors and has three broad objectives, namely creating greater public awareness of the necessity of regular and voluntary donations highlighting the fact that the need for voluntary non-remunerated blood donation is continuous and emphasising that the health and safety of blood donors is an important issue. We would like to encourage donors to continue to perform this honourable act regularly.

"We appreciate the World Health Organisation's (WHO) efforts and its partners for choosing the UAE as the first Arab country, and fifth country worldwide, to host this event, thus providing an opportunity to convey the humanitarian aspect of voluntary donation and its role in saving the lives of needy patients through healthcare establishments all over the world.

"Our participation with the whole world in this global event celebrating those blood donors who donate their precious blood reflects the tremendous honourable and humanitarian acts of such voluntary donations, together with the world health organisation, the international society of blood transfusion, the international federation of blood donor organisations and the international federation of the red cross and red crescent societies. Also, this participation is regarded as a consolidation of, and support to, voluntary blood donors to continue their blood donations on a regular basis.

"We take this opportunity to highlight the efforts of the blood transfusion services in affording sufficient safe blood to all needy patients, and we in the united Arab Emirates assure the whole world that we promise to co-operate fully to afford safe blood, adequately and regularly, in all health establishments within the country.

"According to our belief in the importance of affording inclusive treatment and healthcare, including blood transfusion services and safe blood that has been voluntarily donated as per the recommendation of the world health organisation, we address all governmental and private sectors and beneficent associations, and all partners at the national, regional and universal levels, and ask them to continue with their support to blood transfusion safety programmes through endorsing and encouraging regular and voluntary blood donations, in line with international standards.

"The participation of society and the collaboration of international efforts will no doubt enhance voluntary, regular blood donations and will support the health and humanitarian services and strengthen their ability to provide treatment when required. With this we ask Allah the Almighty to enable us to succeed in achieving this noble task, and God bless you all."