Pakistan, June 14 -- Pakistan receives less than half of the five million blood donations it needs each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, highlighting critical gaps in the country's health care system as it vowed to promote voluntary donations.
About 1.9 million of Pakistan's 2.3 million annual blood donations come from family or replacement donors, while only 18 percent are voluntary and unpaid, according to official data cited by the WHO.
This reliance often delays treatment and poses risks for patients with chronic conditions such as thalassemia, hemophilia and cancer, who require regular transfusions.
"Medical centers in Pakistan need over 5 million blood donations annually and will require 5.6 million by 2030...