site.btaNumber of Blood Donors in Bulgaria Ranks Country among Last in Europe - Expert

Number of Blood Donors in Bulgaria Ranks Country among Last in Europe - Expert

Sofia, January 19 (BTA) - Every day more than 500 people in Bulgaria need blood transfusion, but there were less than 170,000 donors of blood in 2015, which means just 24 per mil and ranks the country among the last in Europe, said expert Stefka Popova in an interview for BTA. Popova is the founder and Chairperson of the Bulgarian Organization for Voluntary Blood Donation, whose team consists of volunteers alone.

In comparison, blood donors in France are more than 32 per mil, in Germany - over 37 and in Greece they are more than 50, Popova said.

According to her, the reason for the shortage of blood donors in Bulgaria lies in the lack of habits from a purely social aspect. Most frequently people come to think of or even just learn about the need of blood only when this problem concerns a family member and they have to find friends or other family members to help in the emergency situation, the expert added.

Another problem, according to Popova, is the lack of information about the need, about how many lives depend on the donated blood every day and how important this gesture of human empathy is for the process itself, about who can or cannot be a blood donor. Many people do not have the faintest idea about their blood group, but this is something that could save their life in a certain situation. The experts hope to fill in these gaps gradually, fully aware how much more effort is necessary in this direction. They also hope an increasing number of people and organisations will support them, including state institutions, Popova said.

Popova quoted a survey which shows that less than 7 per cent of Bulgarians participate in any volunteer initiatives. According to her, this is a matter of public conscience and an indication of the development of civic society in any state, and that is something that everyone should consider for himself.

Very few people in Bulgaria know or think how much blood is needed every day for the people injured in accidents, those who need operations, for people with burns, those with cancer of chronic anemia, or those who need transplants, to mention but a few cases. The main way to change this is to popularize the need of more blood donors, Popova said.
 
The organization has an innovative solution that contributes to quick reaction in cases of concrete need, the spread of information and the development of a habit for voluntary blood donation. This is the Donate Blood system, which has already been functioning for two years, involving volunteer blood donors and the people who need transfusions.