Here�s IFP�s translation of a report by IRNA:

Deputy Head of the Office for Blood Donor Recruitment Nima Hamoon told IRNA that over 2 million Iranians donate blood each year.

�This means that 27 Iranians out of every 1,000 give blood,� he noted.

�In developed countries, 30 to 40 people in every 1,000 donate blood, while in regional countries, the figure is 10.� Therefore, he said, Iran ranks well in comparison with the region and the world.

Women Make up Less than 10% of Donors

�According to statistics, women�s participation in blood donation is 50% in some European countries, and the average global proportion of female blood donation is 30%. The figure in Iran lags too far below the averages,� Hamoon went on to say.

�Currently, women�s participation in blood donation is less than 10% in Iran, and measures should be taken to encourage a change,� he added.

�Sometimes there are false beliefs about women�s blood donation, which discourages them from donating. For example, some think that if women donate blood, they will get anaemia,� he said.

Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day (WBDD). The event, established in 2004, serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood.

This article was translated by IFP from IRNA.