Announcements: The 22nd World Blood Donor Day — June 14, 2025

To encourage more voluntary blood donation, promote the implementation of global blood safety programs, and honor blood safety workers worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations, and International Society of Blood Transfusion collectively established June 14th as “World Blood Donor Day” beginning in 2004. This date commemorates the birthday of Nobel Prize laureate in Medicine and Physiology Karl Landsteiner, renowned as the “father of blood typing” for his discovery of the ABO blood group system (1).

For the World Blood Donor Day 2025, the World Health Organization’s campaign theme, as well as China’s advocation slogan, is “Give blood, give hope: together we save lives” (2). To further encourage widespread participation in voluntary blood donation, strengthen organizational support for group donations, and foster a positive social atmosphere for voluntary blood donation, the National Health Commission and the Communist Youth League Central Committee jointly developed and distributed Voluntary Blood Donation Initiative as early as April this year (3).

Blood represents an inexhaustible force sustaining life, and since it cannot currently be artificially synthesized, clinical blood supplies depend entirely on voluntary, non-remunerated donations from the public — constituting an irreplaceable and precious resource for clinical interventions. On this significant occasion, we extend our profound gratitude to voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors who have saved millions of lives, particularly those individuals who donate regularly and repeatedly, honoring their selfless acts of blood provision. Simultaneously, we aspire to foster broader societal recognition regarding the critical importance of voluntary blood donation, encouraging more young people to become qualified donors and thereby provide the safest possible blood supply for life-saving interventions.

Voluntary blood donation represents a lifelong honor, and those who donate blood without compensation earn the respect and admiration of society.