By Jerromie S. Walters
The World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with the Ministry of Health’s National Blood Safety Program, has taken a significant step towards enhancing access to safe blood and blood products in Liberia.
The initiative, themed “Every Blood Donor is a Hero,” aims to address the country’s urgent need for voluntary non-paid blood donations.
Kicking off the voluntary blood donation campaign on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, the program commenced at the United Nations House in Monrovia. Among the attendees were key stakeholders such as WHO Representative Dr. Peter Clement, who underscored the importance of voluntary blood donation in tackling critical health challenges.
The event later extended to the Ministry of Health, where a diverse group of participants, including citizens and medical students from the A.M. Diglottic College of Medicine at the University of Liberia, engaged in an indoor blood donation program.
Following his blood donation, Dr. Peter Clement emphasized the significance of raising awareness about blood availability, citing the crucial role it plays in saving lives, particularly among women, girls, and children in need of transfusions.
“Many of our women, girls, and children died at various health facilities because of blood. This gesture is to encourage others to do so to address this emergency” he articulated.
At the same time, Ms. Nathalie Poni, a UNICEF Reports Officer, shared her enthusiasm for participating in the blood donation drive, highlighting the satisfaction of contributing to life-saving efforts through her first-time donation.
The World Health Organization will culminate a year-long celebration marking its 75 years of existence come April. World Health Day is traditionally the 7th of April; However, the 7th of April falls on a Sunday this year. As such, the main event will be celebrated on Monday, 8th April with a series of activities lined up to commemorate the day.
World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other related organizations.
It seeks to: Raise awareness about the importance of health and fundamental human rights.
It is also intended to advocate for equitable access to quality healthcare services for all Liberians, including vulnerable populations such as persons living with disabilities.
WHO is the UN organization dedicated to health, The World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts by connecting nations, partners, and people to give everyone,
everywhere an equal chance to live a healthy life- through promoting health, keeping the
a world safe and serving the vulnerable in society.
