On World Blood Donor Day, AfriForum salutes all who donate blood and thereby help to save countless lives. AfriForum also thanks the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) for the excellent service they provide. The international public is informed annually on 14 June of the need for safe blood and blood products. A donation of one unit of blood can save up to three lives.
According to the SANBS, only about 1% of the South African population donate blood. The service’s website constantly indicates for how many days’ supply of blood and platelets remains available. AfriForum encourages people to regularly participate in donation drives.
AfriForum also appeals to the SANBD to adapt its current unilingual English language policy to serve donors in more of the eleven official languages of South Africa. Research that AfriForum is currently undertaking indicates the great need that people have for medical information and services in their own language. Donors regularly complain to AfriForum about the lack of donor forms in more languages, which had always been available also in Afrikaans, but are now only available in English.
“With forms and information in more languages than just English, the SANBS will be able to reach a wider local audience and to convince more people to become donors. Donors will also be more easily reassured that the process is safe, and they will realise how literally anyone can become a hero and lifesaver. This will be a win-win opportunity for everyone,” says Alana Bailey, Deputy CEO of AfriForum.