About blood donors

Blood is needed worldwide each day to save the lives of people involved in accidents, or who need operations or transfusions for certain medical conditions.

Every country has its own criteria for selecting blood donors. If you are interested in giving blood, you should contact your nearest blood centre directly. As a guide, to be a blood donor, you should meet the following requirements:

• be in good health
• generally weigh more than 45-50 kg
• be aged between 16 to 70 years (18 to 65 in some countries
• meet all the guidelines designed to protect both the person giving the blood and the person who may receive the blood

The average blood donation consists of about 450 to 470 ml of blood, which represents about eight per cent of the blood volume of an average adult. The body replaces this naturally, a process which is helped by drinking extra water-based fluids.

Often, people are concerned about giving blood the first time, but staff at local blood centres can provide further information when you visit. Many donors enjoy the personal satisfaction of saving someone's life in such a simple way, and the contact with other like-minded citizens, and make the effort to attend their blood centre every few months.