News Releases

UWI Blood Donor Foundation Celebrates World Blood Donor Day

For Release Upon Receipt - June 13, 2013

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago – Surveys have indicated a great desire for more information about blood donation and transfusion in the community. The University of the West Indies Blood Donor Foundation (UWIBDF), which along with the global community celebrated the 10th anniversary of World Blood Donor Day yesterday, June 14, plans to exchange ideas and information about safe blood donation with communities across Trinidad & Tobago. In this way, it would correct misconceptions, encourage more voluntary blood donation and assist in the collection of the safest blood.

Dr Kenneth Charles, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, at The University of the West Indies (St Augustine Campus), has noted that “a safe and reliable blood supply donated unconditionally and anonymously and used on a basis of clinical need would address the country’s needs – emergencies, planned surgeries, pregnancy complications, dialysis, oncology and haematology - would improve the lives of patients who require repeated blood transfusions to stay alive and those, including foreign visitors, who have no relatives to donate blood on their behalf.” The UWIBDF, based at the Department of Paraclinical Sciences of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, is urging citizens to give the gift of life to anyone in need by donating blood voluntarily.In first world countries like the USA, Canada and England, blood donors are healthy members of the community who give blood regularly, once or twice per year, to help any patient in need. There is no direct link between blood donors and persons receiving transfusion which allows the system to work very well, providing for a steady blood supply. 

In poorer developing countries, most blood is collected from family members or friends of patients in hospital (replacement blood donation). Because this group of people is small, much less blood is collected than if the healthy community were involved in voluntary, regular blood donation. As a result, less than half the amount of blood recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) is collected in countries like Trinidad & Tobago and most of the Caribbean. Blood is always in short supply. Citizens who wish to give blood voluntarily have to be allowed to claim their donation if their friends or family need transfusion. 

Out of concern about replacement blood donation in developing countries, the WHO established World Blood Donor Day in 2004. It is celebrated internationally on June 14th of every year to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors and raise awareness about safe blood donation. On WBDD 2010, Dr Neelam Dhingra, Coordinator of Blood Transfusion Safety at the WHO observed that "Young people are the hope and future of a safe blood supply in the world," and expressed confidence that “more countries can achieve 100 per cent voluntary unpaid blood donation if they focus efforts on engaging young people."   

End   

About THE UWI

Over the last six decades, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged University with over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest and most longstanding higher education provider in the English-speaking Caribbean, with main campuses in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Centres in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Christopher (St Kitts) & Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines. UWI recently launched its Open Campus, a virtual campus with 45 physical site locations across the region, serving 16 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean. UWI is an international university with faculty and students from over 40 countries and collaborative links with over 60 universities around the world. Through its seven Faculties, UWI offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Food & Agriculture, and Social Sciences.

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.) 

For the latest UWI News, click http://sta.uwi.edu/news

Contact