World Blood Donor Day – on the birthday of Karl Landsteiner, the Nobel prize winner who discovered the ABO blood group system – is intended to create awareness of the importance of voluntary blood donation and encourage more people to become regular blood donors.
From the Web site:
"The day will also provide an opportunity to highlight the fact that voluntary non-remunerated blood donors are the foundation of a safe blood supply because they are associated with significantly lower levels of infections that can be transmitted by transfusion, including HIV and hepatitis viruses. Screening for transfusion-transmissible infections is essential, but the safest donations come from the safest donors."
The day has been selected by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations and the International Society of Blood Transfusion, joined by the World Health Organization.