February is the month of love, shared amongst people in a romantic nature but at the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) we celebrate this love every month. With your unselfish act of donating blood and sharing the love of the human race, you can make a difference to the lives of patients you may never know. “It can also be a time to show your love to those you may never meet by donating blood and making a difference to the lives of others.” says Sifiso Khoza, Regional Marketing Manager, SANBS.
January blood stock levels seemed to have dropped to less than one day in some provinces with the national average of two days for most of the month. We need the public to join the blood donation community and start donating a minimum of four times a year.
So we encourage all eligible donors to share their liquid love this month and commit to donating blood a minimum of four times a year. It’s not too late to make this your resolution for 2015.As a gesture to say “thank you” we have a limited edition sports bag for those who donate four units in a calendar year.
With schools, universities and organisations all back to usual operation we thought we would be able to maintain good blood stock levels; however that has not been the case.
February is also the month dedicated to Healthy Lifestyles Awareness.
Reports show that in the past five years, there has been, a growing number of people diagnosed with heart disease, cancer and various other health-related illnesses.
Lifestyle diseases are triggered by our unhealthy lifestyle choices like:
- Smoking
- Being overweight
- Indulging in an unhealthy diet filled with fatty foods and limited fruits and vegetables
- Limited physical activity
- High stress levels
SANBS supports Healthy Lifestyle Awareness Month and encourages South Africans to start paying attention to problem areas in their health, go for regular medical check-ups and control their stress levels.
Khoza says, “Stress has a significant impact on lifestyle illnesses. People need to make time for regular exercise, spend time doing things they enjoy, learn some relaxation techniques and just some time to relax.”
Although the ‘silent killers’ can be prevented, for the already diagnosed, successful treatment is a debilitating matter of life and death. The treatment of the majority of these diseases requires blood transfusions. The increase in affected patients means an increased demand for blood donations.
People who meet the minimum requirements are encouraged to become regular blood donors.
In order to become a blood donor you must:
- Weigh at least 50kg
- Be between the ages of 16-65
- Lead a safe sexual lifestyle
- Be in general good health; and
- Consider your blood safe for transfusion to a patient.
How to find the nearest donor centre
Phone 0800 11 9031 | www.sanbs.org.za | Facebook.com/SANBS | Twitter @theSANBS | Send your postal code to 31454.
About the SANBS
SANBS is a non-profit organisation which provides an essential service within South Africa. It is rated amongst the best in the world in the provision of blood and blood products, as well as in relation to the research and training provided. SANBS operates across all of South Africa, with the exclusion of the Western Cape.
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