The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is in need of blood and what better day to donate than on World Blood Donor Day?
SANBS has been campaigning to receive some of the missing blood types. The types in need are A, B and O. With today being World Blood Donor Day, we thought we would remind you to head to a nearby SANBS and donate. As part of their Missing Types Campaign, SANBS hoped to get new young donors into their blood donation centres.
The campaign asked organisations to remove the letters A, B and O (symbolising the “missing” blood types with the same letters) from their logos or names for a week. Since launching globally a few years ago, the initiative has notched up phenomenal success, spurring thousands of new blood donors to sign up worldwide.
“It really is critical for the SANBS to replenish blood stocks at this time of year, with the school holidays just around the corner. This will inevitably cause a spike in the demand for blood transfusions,” – Silungile Mlambo, the SANBS’s chief marketing officer.
All donors belong to one of four blood groups: A, B, AB or O. You are also classified as either Rh positive or Rh negative. There are therefore eight different main blood groups.
Not all blood groups are compatible with each other and the success of modern transfusion medicine depends on classifying and matching donors and patients correctly. Group O blood is known as the universal blood type, as it can be given to patients of any blood group.
If you do not know your blood type, you can still head down to donate, the SANBS will determine your type and inform you next time you go to donate.
Take a look at the science behind blood types below.
Find your closest donation centre here.
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