TEHRAN – Iran is the first and sole country in the Eastern Mediterranean region that has been able to meet the country’s need for blood and blood products relying entirely on voluntary and unpaid blood donations, the CEO of Iran Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) has said.

One hundred percent of donated blood is non-remunerated; in Asia, some other countries like Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Thailand have managed to collect voluntary blood, as well, IRIB quoted Ahmad Qarah-Baghian as saying.

The official made the remarks on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, which is observed on June 14 every year.

There are some 1.7 million regular blood donors across the country, donating around 2.4 million blood units to meet the needs of patients yearly, he added.

Lauding public participation in blood donation, Qarah-Baghian said that over the past few months, blood storage duration has increased from five to 10 and even for the first time to 12 days, despite crises.

In the last month of the past Iranian year, which ended on March 2026, women’s contribution showed an increase of 79 percent compared to the same period, a year earlier. Also, the number of young individuals’ (aged below 25) referrals increased by a percent, he noted.

The IBTO’s main mission is to provide safe and adequate blood and blood products for patients so that no treatment is postponed due to blood shortage. Patients with thalassemia, cancers, and other chronic diseases need uninterrupted blood supplies, Qarah-Baghian further noted.

The official went on to say that Iran is the first country in the region that has established rare blood type bank; the bank aims to identify people with very rare blood types and expand the supply of rare blood. Currently, the bank has around 100,000 voluntary donors, and the number is planned to increase to 500,000 in three years.

World Blood Donor Day is a celebration to honor donors, an effort to raise awareness of the ongoing need for safe blood and blood products, and a call to action to inspire consistent and new voluntary blood donations to ensure the availability of safe, adequate blood supplies.

The day appreciates the millions of voluntary, unpaid blood donors whose generosity saves lives every day. Their contributions are essential to health systems everywhere, supporting patients during emergencies, childbirth, surgeries, cancer treatment, and the lifelong care of many serious conditions.

Themed ‘One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.’, This year’s campaign places humanity at the heart of every blood donation. It reminds everyone that each donation is more than a medical act: it is a powerful expression of solidarity, compassion, and collective responsibility. Inspired by the idea that the whole of humanity can be reflected in a single drop, the campaign highlights how every donor helps form a lifeline that connects and protects us all.

While advances in science, testing, and blood safety systems have made transfusion safer than ever, safe blood remains dependent on people willing to donate regularly and voluntarily. Yet many countries continue to face shortages and unequal access to safe blood and blood products, particularly in low- and middle-income settings.

The objectives of this year’s campaign are to drive sustained growth in regular, voluntary, unpaid blood donation worldwide; raise awareness of the life-saving impact of blood and plasma donation; highlight the vital contribution of blood donors and promote the values of solidarity and humanity; and encourage governments and partners to strengthen and invest in national blood programs to achieve universal access to safe blood transfusion.

MT/MG