Ambassador Rolls Up His Sleeve to Boost Moldova’s Blood Donations
In celebration of World Blood Donor Day on June 14, US Ambassador Michael D. Kirby, with Moldova’s Minister of Health, Ion Ababii, donated blood to raise awareness of the critical need for unpaid blood donations in Moldova. Voluntary donors are the foundation of a safe blood supply, which is crucial to Moldova’s healthcare system and the welfare of citizens who require life-saving transfusions and medical services.
The USAID-supported Preventing HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B&C Project (PHHP) is working to improve blood transfusion and blood product safety in Moldova by assisting the National Blood Transfusion Center to meet international quality standards and improving blood donor recruitment, regulatory standards, management systems, monitoring, and clinical procedures.
The World Blood Donor Day conference, sponsored by PHHP, drew an audience of more than 100 representatives of the medical community, members of nongovernmental organizations, patient associations, international groups, and local officials. After the formal presentations, people crowded the mobile donation center to donate blood. The event was widely covered by television and radio stations throughout Moldova.
![Ambassador Kirby donates blood surrounded by photographers](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081107195341im_/http://www.usaid.gov/locations/europe_eurasia/images/success/2007-08-17.jpg) |
Ambassador Kirby donates blood surrounded by photographers |
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