Overview

This global framework for action to achieve 100% voluntary blood donation has been developed jointly by the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. It is designed to provide guidance and support to countries seeking to establish effective voluntary blood donor programmes, phase out family/replacement blood donation and eliminate paid donation.

The vision embodied in this framework is the achievement of 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation in every country of the world. It is based on the recognition that voluntary non-remunerated blood donors are the foundation of a safe, sustainable blood supply. Without a system based on voluntary unpaid blood donation, particularly regular voluntary donation, no country can provide sufficient blood for all patients who require transfusion.

This document aims to:

1. provide information and guidance on the vital role of voluntary blood donors in assuring the availability of stable and sufficient supplies of safe blood for transfusion; and
2. propose a series of interlinking strategies and suggestions for concrete action at national and community levels to scale up voluntary blood donor programmes with heightened commitment and support from governments, partners and other stakeholders.

Contents

• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• 1. Introduction to the global framework
  • Vision
  • Objectives
  • Target audience
  • Methodology
• 2. Voluntary blood donation: foundation of a safe and sufficient blood supply
  • Blood transfusion in health care
  • Sufficiency and security of national blood supplies
  • Safety of blood and blood products
  • Why voluntary blood donation?
  • Challenges in achieving 100% voluntary blood donation
• 3. The global framework for action
  • Goal A Create an enabling environment for 100% voluntary non-remunerated blood donation
  • Goal B Foster a culture of voluntary blood donation
  • Goal C Build and maintain a safe, sustainable voluntary donor base
  • Goal D Provide quality donor service and care
• References
• Annex

The development of this publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement U62/CCU024044 from the Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), Global AIDS Program (GAP). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.

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