Today is World Blood Donor Day - an opportunity to thank those who give blood and to recognize that we can do more to increase blood donations. Almost half of Canadians can give blood, but only a small fraction of us choose to do so. Help us change these statistics.
Did you know that by taking one hour out of your day to donate blood, you could help save up to three lives? Consider your family members, friends and colleagues who may be in need now or in the future. Your gift can make a difference.
The theme of this year's day is Safe Blood for All. In addition to raising awareness about the importance of blood donations, the theme is also a call to government action to increase our blood supply. On that note, the Government of Canada is pleased to have recently announced that it has approved a request by Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec to reduce the deferral period for blood donation for men who have sex with men from one year to three months. This is a major step towards behavioural-based screening, and ultimately, increasing our number of donors.
I encourage all Canadians to find out how they can become become donors by visiting our webpage about blood donations
