June 14, 2019 was the 16th World Blood Donor Day(WBDD). The theme for WBDD 2019 was "Safe blood for all". It was a call for action to all the governments, healthcare institutions and blood banks across the globe to meet the adequate demand of blood for all the patients who require blood transfusion so as to achieve a universal public health. It also strongly encourages people all around the world to become blood donors and donate blood regularly. To celebrate the day, a variety of events were served in Tianjin to thank blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations.
  On the evening of June 13, a theme gala hosted by Tianjin Blood Center was held in the city of Tianjin to thank all the blood donors for their selflessness and life-saving gifts of blood. In this event, WEI Qiuyue, a former Olympic champion in women's volleyball, present vice president of Tianjin Vocational College of Sports, was granted as the spokesperson of voluntary blood donation in Tianjin.

On June 14, the 16th WBDD, CCTV digital channel conducted a 2-hour live interview of the processes of blood collection, blood preparation and blood quality managements in Tianjin Blood Center. This live broadcast helped more people have in-depth understanding of blood donations.

Translated by ZHOU Yanjun;

Reviewed by ZHU Shanshan, JIANG Nizhen