Accra, June 15, GNA - Ghana has not been able to achieve a 100 per cent

voluntary blood donation status, despite various interventions over the years in trying to achieve the feat, Director of National Blood Transfusi on Services (NBTS), Dr Justina Ansah, said on Tuesday.

Speaking at this year's World blood Donor Day in Accra, she said 57 countries have achieved the feat, increasing the number from 39 in 2002 a nd noted that it was unfortunate that raising awareness on the need to donat e blood had still not yielded the desired result.

The day is celebrated globally on June 14 each year, and on theme "New

Blood for the World". The global event is being hosted in Barcelona, Spai n, and celebrates selfless individuals who donate their blood and plasma to save lives and improve the health of people whom they have never met. Dr Ansah said the need for blood was increasing in all parts of the wo rld and Ghana was no exception, adding that young people would be targeted to

make an important contribution by donating blood and recruiting other you ng people to become donors.

The need for safe blood and blood products for transfusion and the critical contribution of voluntary and unpaid blood donors to the nationa l health system could not be overemphasised, she said, and noted that it wa s for that reason that initiatives such as young ambassadors' programme, voluntary blood donors club, club/pledge 25, and other media campaigns directed towards young audiences were expected to help bring new blood to

the world.

The NBTS director called for support from politicians, celebrities alo ng with media campaigns and community based activities, to help the service come out with lasting results that would keep the service running. Chairperson of the National Blood Committee, Dr. Sylvia Boye, who inaugurated the two pledge clubs, urged all voluntary blood donors to don ate regularly because they serve as the foundation for a sustainable supply o f safe blood and blood products for blood centres. The club idea is a donor-retention strategy aimed at retaining young donors and building a panel of future safe adult donors, as well as educa te their community on safe and healthy lifestyles. She noted that it was important for members of the various clubs to l ive healthy lives which safeguard them from contracting transfusion transmissible infections such as HIV and AIDS, Hepatitis and Syphilis, adding that safe blood could only come from safe blood donors.