Turkish Red Crescent records 1.2 million blood units collected in first five months

The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) announced that 1,246,400 units of blood were donated in the first five months of 2023, coinciding with World Voluntary Blood Donation Day on 14 June. The haul was achieved with the help of 1,197,512 regular donors, of whom 21 % are aged 18‑24; donors are 85 % male and 15 % female.

Kızılay carried out 2,197 education activities that reached 1,225,050 people, and expanded collaborations with 82 institutions. Projects include the "Biz İyilik Severiz" partnership with the Thalassemia and Blood‑Disease Federations, creating a pool of 40,783 donors, adding 4,063 regular donors and facilitating 247 patient‑donor matches. The "Hastaya Kan, Ormana Can" initiative engaged 1,579,400 donors to plant 4,738,200 trees.

Through the Turkey Stem Cell Coordination Center (TÜRKÖK), active stem‑cell donor candidates rose to 1,231,392, resulting in 36,905 patient‑donor matches and 8,500 successful stem‑cell collections since 2014. A new Protürk Plasma Drug Facility, whose foundation stone was laid in Ankara’s Çubuk district with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan present, aims to produce albumin, immunoglobulin and clotting factors domestically, reducing Turkey’s reliance on imports.