"Every blood donor is a hero" - World Blood Donor Day, 2012

On 14 June, countries throughout every region of the world organize a huge variety of events and activities to celebrate World Blood Donor Day, from football matches to free concerts, and from mobile blood donation clinics to monumental decorations. Events are held to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood. The theme of this year's World Blood Donor Day campaign is, “Every blood donor is a hero”.

WHO and partners have decided to focus the 2012 campaign on the idea that every one of us can become a hero simply by giving blood. The everyday hero responds to an immediate need, whatever the conditions, despite inconvenience, putting the needs of others above their own. Voluntary blood donors come from all walks of life, all regions, backgrounds, religions and ages. By choosing to donate blood without getting paid, these individuals commit an "heroic" act, a gesture of human solidarity with the power to save lives. Some of them do so dozens of times over several decades.

Useful links:

• WHO website
• WHO World Blood Donor Day webpage
• WHO Facebook
• WHO Twitter
• WHO Google+