TEHRAN – A total of 2,111,476 Iranians donated blood in the first ten months of the current Iranian year, which started on March 21, according to an official with the Blood Transfusion Organization.

The highest blood donation growth was recorded in the provinces of Zanjan (around 13 percent), Sistan-Baluchestan (about ten percent), and Isfahan (almost eight percent), the health ministry’s website quoted Babak Yektaparast as saying.

Over the past ten months, the continuous blood donation growth rate in the country has increased to over 55 percent. The provinces of Semnan (more than 69 percent), Golestan, and Qom (about 67 percent) hold the highest rates for continuous blood donation, respectively, he noted.

Women’s share of blood donation in the country is almost five percent, Yektaparast added. 

The official went on to say that Tehran province accounted for more than 16 percent of the total blood donation in the same period. 

According to Ahmad Qarah-Baghian, an official with Iran Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO), around 1.7 percent of the country’s population donates blood regularly, and the blood donation index is 28 per 1,000 population.

The average amount of blood storage in the country is sufficient for five days, but it can be increased to eight days, IRNA quoted Qarah-Baghian as saying in January.

Blood donations are always needed. The life of some patients, such as those suffering from hemophilia and thalassemia, depends on regular blood transfusions, the official noted.

With an increase in life expectancy in Iran, which is currently 75 years, and a structural change in the population’s average age, the need for blood and its products will significantly increase in the future, he added.

Referring to Iran’s transition into an aging country and the fact that about 30 per cent of the death tolls in traffic accidents are due to lack of access to blood transfusion, Qarah-Baghian said young healthy individuals, aged below 25, need to be encouraged to donate blood regularly, and women’s contribution should increase from 5 to 35 percent.

The official went on to say that people can even only donate platelets, as platelets can be stored for only about three days, while the product is vital for many patients.

WHO lauds IBTO’s achievements

In January 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative, Jaffar Hussain, admired the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization’s (IBTO) leadership in blood safety and transfusion services, and highlighted their remarkable achievement of a 100 percent voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation system, a testament to the principles of universal health coverage in action.

He also thanked the blood donors, whose selflessness serves as an inspiration to all.

Admiring the IBTO’s efforts and expertise in providing services to patients with rare blood types, the official underscored Iran’s capacity to serve as a model for other nations in the realm of blood transfusion and rare blood management.

Addressing National Rare Blood Day on January 22, 2025, the official praised the country’s steadfast commitment to equitable healthcare access, ensuring that no one is left behind, regardless of their blood type.

The official commended the country’s unwavering dedication to tackling the unique challenges surrounding rare blood, emphasizing the critical importance of collaboration, innovation, and unwavering determination in this global endeavor, the WHO website announced in a press release on January 27.

He lauded the IBTO leadership in blood safety and transfusion services, highlighting their remarkable achievement of a 100 percent voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation system, a testament to the principles of universal health coverage in action. He also thanked the blood donors, whose selflessness serves as an inspiration to all.

MT/MG