Topic: Blood Supply Safety
Country: South Korea
Delegate Name: Apoorv Singh
School: Forest Hills Central High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All South Korea position papers GLIMUN 2010 committees
Blood donations and transfusions save so many lives every day. But still millions of people die waiting for a transfusion. Developing countries, which are eighty percent of the world population, only get about forty five percent of the global blood supply. It is our duty as members of the UN to increase the amount of global blood available so these people at least have a chance to live. An article on the Lancet said that on World Donor Day in 2007 of hundred and seventy two countries responded, 80 of them failed to get less than 1 percent of their population donating. It also stated that from 5 to 10 percent of HIV infections happen from people having contaminated blood transfused into them.
The Republic of Korea fully supports unpaid voluntary blood donation has do its citizens. A survey in 2008 found that half the people voluntarily donating blood were under the age of 25. The Republic of Korea would also like more facilities being built in developing countries where the country can safely house, screen, and give blood to its people. Also the Republic of Korea thinks we should send more people to help train the locals for doing these procedures so that the country won’t be so dependent on others. We realize this would cost a lot of money but we should create more days and things like World Donor Day.
The Republic of Korea thinks orchestrating this would be easy with the help and contribution from other nations. Others could help by building blood banks and screening rooms to help reduce the amount of infecting blood. Also increasing support for voluntary donations in their country by holding donations and rallies
There already some standing with us. The survey from 2007 showed that the countries of Botswana, Jordan, and Zimbabwe also had half of the people who donated blood was under the age of 25. In May 2005 172 countries in the 58th session of the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA58.13 to make World Blood Donor Day an annual event that is to happen every June 14th.
