World Blood Donor Day is observed on 14 June each year.
Every year over 107 million units of blood are donated around the world, helping to save the lives of millions of people and half of these units are collected in high income countries.
Despite these figures, the day isn’t just about encouraging people to donate blood – it is to celebrate and thank those who donate blood freely with no reward.
The 14th of June is also a significant date for this special day as it is the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the Nobel prize winner who discovered the ABO blood group system.
This day will see the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Blood Donor Organisations and the International Society of Blood Transfusion come together along with the World Health Organisation to promote blood the benefits of donating blood around the world.
To find out more about what’s happening this year why not visit the World Blood Donor Day website.