Blood donation is more needed than ever, said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakidou, on the occasion of the International Day of Blood Donors.
Kyriakidou paid tribute to all blood and plasma blood donors, expressing gratitude to people saving lives.
Without blood donors, she added, transfusions and operations would not be possible and certain medicines not available.
25 million blood transfusions are used every year in the EU for a series of life saving operations, while more than 8 million liters of plasma blood are utilised to make medicines for many conditions such as hemophilia, while helping those with immune system deficiencies.
Kyriakidou appealed to donors to continue their life saving service and solidarity, throughout this pandemic, strengthening public health systems.
New blood donations are much needed now, she said, as hospitals throughout Europe are emerging from covid restrictions and operations are starting again, while plasma blood is also needed from patients who have recovered from COVID-19, so doctors can test the ability of new patients to fight the virus and make new medicines.
Blood donors save lives, we are grateful, said Kyriakidou, while Health Minister Constandinos Ioannou appealed to new donors to come forward.
Cyprus tops the EU on the percentage of blood donors in its population, reaching almost 10 percent.
