TEHRAN (Iran News) – Blood donation has increased by 9 percent over the first four months of the current [Iranian calendar] year (started March 21), the Blood Transfusion Organization spokesman has said.

In the aforementioned period, about 916,000 people referred to blood donation centers all over the country, of which about 730,000 donated blood, ISNA quoted Abbas Sedaqat saying on Saturday.

The blood donation index has grown by 9 percent in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year, he stated.

Blood donation in Iran has long been done voluntarily, as over 2.1 million Iranians donate blood annually.He went on to say that the highest blood donation growth was recorded in Kordestan province with 28 percent, North Khorasan province with 27 percent, and Hamedan province with 26 percent growth, respectively.

Also, people in Tehran province donated 18 percent more blood in the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year, he added.

The regular blood donor index in the country is estimated at 53 percent, he said.

Referring to the 4.3 percent women’s share of blood donation, he noted that the index of women’s participation in blood donation is significantly lower than the average of developed countries.

Blood donation in Iran has long been done voluntarily as over 2.1 million Iranians donate blood annually, Bashir Haji-Beigi, the former Blood Transfusion Organization spokesman, said in June.

There are currently 178 blood donation centers in the country, with Fars, Khorasan Razavi, Khuzestan, Tehran, and Mazandaran provinces having the largest number of blood donation centers, he stated.

Highest blood donation in Eastern Mediterranean

While blood donation in 70 countries still depends on replacement or paid donors, Iran is the first country in the region that has enjoyed voluntary blood donation by 100 percent since 2007.

More than 85 percent of all donated blood worldwide is used to produce blood products, while the rate is 65 percent in Eastern Mediterranean countries. Iran ranks among the highest-income countries in terms of converting more than 97 percent of the blood donated by people to plasma-derived medicinal products (PDMP).

Only 55 of 171 countries produce PDMP through the fractionation of plasma collected in the reporting country. A total of 90 countries reported that all PDMP are imported, 16 countries reported that no PDMP was used during the reporting period, and 10 countries did not respond to the question, according to WHO.

Iran currently has the highest blood donation rate in the Eastern Mediterranean region, so out of 9.9 million blood donation units in this region, more than two million belongs to Iran.

Also, the index of blood donation is 25 per 1,000 populations, while in the member states of the Eastern Mediterranean region, this number is 14.9 per 1000.