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PAHO NEWS: Press Releases, Job Vacancies, and Other
Information from the Pan American Health Organization
(PAHO) via the Canadian Society for International Health
(CSIH) Technical Representative in Canada for PAHO
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Message of Dr. George A.O. Alleyne,
Director of the Pan American Health Organization
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World Health Day 2000, commemorated on April 7, focuses on
a safe and adequate blood supply for the millennium. Our
objectives in the international observance of World Health
Day are to increase the awareness of safe blood issues in
the Americas and encourage voluntary donations of blood;
thorough testing and screening of donated blood, and
appropriate use of blood for transfusions.
We know that the risk of transfusion-transmitted
infections is higher when blood products come from paid or
replacement donors, rather than volunteer and repeat
donors, so we must meet the challenge of promoting
voluntary blood donation through mass communication and
improving the care of potential donors in blood banks. We
want people in the countries to understand and accept
blood donation as a desirable, altruistic act, and health
workers to discourage replacement donation and retain and
educate volunteer donors. People who want to donate blood
should be able to do it in comfortable, clean, attractive
facilities.
The ministers of health of the Americas have adopted the
goal of ensuring that all blood for transfusions is
screened against infection by Hepatitis B and C, syphilis,
Trypanosoma Cruzi, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
They have resolved to give higher priority in their
national health policies to the safety of blood for
transfusion and to promote the development of national
blood programs and transfusion services, based on the
voluntary, repeated donation of blood and on quality
assurance.
Our goal for World Health Day, and for every day, is to
intensify efforts to have more volunteers donate blood and
reduce the numbers of replacement donors and paid donors.
We cannot limit the observance to only one day: blood is
needed every day, so we must ensure the safety of blood
and blood products, and raise awareness of the need for
systematic blood screening. There is no reason for anyone
in the Americas to contract a disease transmitted by blood
transfusion if we all do our part.
To accomplish this, much more is needed. Across the
Americas, we must strengthen national blood banks and
programs; establish regional standards for the quality of
blood banks and transfusion services, as well as for the
blood products used in transfusions; train personnel, and
help obtain the resources needed for safe blood products
and their use in the population that needs them.
I thank all of you who have donated blood and helped save
lives, and ask that you continue to do so. I urge those of
you who have not donated blood to contact your local blood
bank and volunteer, so you can help us build a safe,
sustainable blood supply and continue saving the lives of
those who need blood transfusions.
Remember that safe blood starts with me, and safe blood
saves lives.
Dr. George A. O. Alleyne
Director of the Pan American Health Organization
April 2000
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For more information, photographs, print PSA, footage
and/or B-roll please call the Office of Public
Information: Tel (202) 974-3458, Fax (202) 974-3143,
[log in to unmask] , 525 Twenty-Third Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037, USA - http://www.paho.org
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This document is available, with full formatting, at
http://www.csih.org/paho_ndx.html
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