President Gokhool urges youth to champion blood donation through social media

To the youth gathered at the Town Hall of the Municipal Council of Curepipe, today, to celebrate World Blood Donor Day, the President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Dharambeer Gokhool, called on them to harness modern communication tools, particularly social media platforms, to raise awareness on the importance of blood donation, and encourage their peers, together with the wider community, to become regular voluntary blood donors.

The official ceremony was organised by the Blood Donors Association, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Education and Human Resource, to commemorate World Blood Donor Day, marked annually on 14 June. The theme for this year is ‘One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives’.

The event featured a march with the participation of young blood donors and students from the Curepipe region, led by the Mauritius Police and Prison Bands. Students also took a pledge to donate blood voluntarily at least 15 times during their lifetime, while winners of posters and video competitions organised in connection with the Day received awards.

The Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Anil Kumar Bachoo; the Junior Minister of Health and Wellness, Mrs Anishta Babooram; the Mayor of Curepipe, Mrs Tashyana Latchmana Pillay Kuppadu; the Officer-in-charge of the World Health Organisation Country Office in Mauritius, Dr Ajoy Nundoochan; the President of the Blood Donors Association, Mr Dewanand Hossen; and other personalities were present on the occasion.

In his address, President Gokhool highlighted the necessity of ensuring that blood donation continues as a noble act of humanity. He underscored that donating blood is a simple gesture that can have a significant impact by saving lives. He thus paid tribute to all those involved in blood donation, and commended the students who pledged to become blood donors.

Moreover, Mr Gokhool, put forward the importance of national unity and collective action in addressing societal challenges such as drug abuse, violence and femicide. He recalled the commitment of Government to address these issues and underlined the role of the President in bringing matters of national concern to the attention of the Government.

For his part, the Minister of Health and Wellness pointed out the remarkable progress achieved by Mauritius in voluntary blood donation since the establishment of the Blood Donors Association in 1988. He indicated that voluntary donors account for 87.7% of the country’s blood supply. “In 2025, some 51,454 units of blood were collected from 33,370 registered voluntary blood donors,” he stated.

On that score, Mr Bachoo extended his gratitude to all blood donors whose willingness to donate voluntarily, without expecting anything in return, represents one of the finest expressions of humanity, solidarity and civic responsibility. He paid tribute as well to the dedicated personnel of the National Blood Transfusion Service, whose expertise, vigilance and commitment ensure that the collected blood meets the highest standard of safety and quality.

The Minister appealed to young people to consider becoming regular blood donors particularly in light of the country’s changing demographic profile. He affirmed that Mauritius requires an average of 140 to 150 units of blood daily to meet national healthcare needs, including emergencies, planned surgical procedures, trauma care, obstetric emergencies, cancer treatment, and the management of conditions such as thalassaemia, haemophilia and severe anaemia, among other critical medical needs.

15 June 2026

Email: gis@govmu.org

Website: https://gis.govmu.org

Mobile App: GIS News

Topics: Health, Education, Youth