TEHRAN – Iran is the only Islamic nation in the Eastern Mediterranean region that has a rare blood program, an official with the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization (IBTO) has said.

In the Iranian year 1389 (2010-2011), the country joined the International Rare Blood Association, which currently has 30 member states, IRNA quoted Mehdi Karbasizadeh as saying.

The official went on to say that Iran, China, and Japan are the only member states of the association in Asia that have rare blood management programs.

One out of 5,000 to 10,000 individuals in Iran has a rare blood type. The frequency of rare blood types in each country depends on its population and the blood type. Bombay blood type is among the rarest blood groups known in the country, the official added.

There are currently fewer than 10 of the rarest blood types and 30 rare blood types in the country. About 150 out of 376 solidified units of blood stored at a rare blood bank are the rarest, Karbasizadeh said.

Presently, 262 individuals with a really rare blood type are identified in the country, but not all of them can donate blood. 

The official urged those with (really) rare blood types to donate blood at least once a year, saying that blood units solidified at minus 65 to 85 degrees centigrade can be stored for 10 years.

In 2025, Jaffar Hussain, the former World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Iran, highlighted 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, the official praised the country’s steadfast commitment to equitable health care access, ensuring that no one is left behind, regardless of their blood type.

National Rare Blood Day is a day dedicated to celebrating the lives saved, challenges overcome, and unwavering commitment to ensuring every individual, regardless of their blood type, has a fighting chance at life.

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 endeavour, the WHO website announced in a press release on January 27.

Hussain painted a vivid picture of the struggles faced by those with rare blood types, individuals who often find themselves in desperate need, their lives hanging in the balance as they search for that elusive, compatible match. 

He paid tribute to these unsung heroes, recognizing their generosity and unwavering commitment to the well-being of others. “Blood donors,” he declared, “represent the epitome of human solidarity, offering a lifeline to those in need without expecting anything in return.”

WHO, Hussain emphasized, believes that universal health coverage must encompass access to safe blood and blood products. He lauded IBTO’s 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. 

In closing, the official extended his deepest gratitude to the IBTO for their unwavering dedication to advancing blood transfusion services and ensuring equitable access to rare blood. He thanked the blood donors, whose selflessness serves as an inspiration to all.

The event concluded with a renewed commitment to innovation, partnership and universal health coverage, leaving attendees with a sense of determination to continue the fight for rare blood access, ensuring that every drop counts, every donation matters and every life is valued.

In July 1979, the IBTO was established to organize blood transfusion activities, promote blood donation, and supply safe blood and its products free of charge for patients suffering from diseases like hemophilia, thalassemia, and leukemia.

Iran is the only Islamic country that is a member of the International Society of Blood Transfusion’s rare blood donor working party (ISBT WP).

Thanks to a rich culture of selflessness, the country maintains a six-month blood reserve ensuring preparedness for crises.

Blood reserves and their products are considered strategic and vital resources for the country, and voluntary donations help to meet the needs of the country, particularly during crisis.

According to experts, adults weigh 50 or more who aged 17 to 65 can donate blood.

Blood donation saves the lives of recipients and ensures the health of donors by facilitating the timely detection of latent diseases.

Healthy individuals can donate blood up to four times a year with an interval of eight weeks.

The main objective of the IBTO is to provide safe, quality blood and its products in accordance with national standards for those in need, as well as to promote blood transfusion medicine.

The whole blood can be separated into different blood components to be used for different purposes. Blood components are namely red blood cells (used for anemia or bleeding; platelets (used for bleeding disorders); and plasma (to provide blood proteins).

Heart surgery and organ transplant patients, those suffering from cancer, thalassemia, hemophilia, and acute burn are among those in need of blood.

The IBTO is known as a regional training authority of the World Health Organization in blood transfusion medicine.

Moreover, IBTO checks all donors and recipients to ensure their safety and health. Donated blood is tested for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, and blood cell types.

Conducting nucleic acid testing (NAT), a molecular technique for screening blood donations to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections; antibody screening to ensure the recipient and the donor’s blood are compatible to prevent complications from blood transfusion; as well as genetic sequencing using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) method for human leukocyte antigens (HLA) to check tissue compatibility and facilitate hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients are among other main activities of the organization. 

Blood donation rises by 1.5% yr/yr

Some 2.36 million Iranians donated blood over the past Iranian calendar year (March 2024-March 2025), representing a 1.5 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Tehran and Fars, Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Mazandaran, and Khuzestan provinces made the largest contributions, IRIB reported.

Over the past (Iranian) year, some four million blood units, including blood products, were transferred to medical centers, IRIB quoted Bashir Haji-Beigi, the head of the Organization, as saying.

Men made up 95 percent of blood donors, while women’s contribution amounted to five percent. Women in Lorestan province, North Khorasan, and Sistan-Baluchestan had the highest share, he added.

Highlighting the need for negative blood types, the official said 90 percent of donors had positive blood.

MT/MG