Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the First Lady, Sunday called on all healthy Ghanaians to donate blood and save lives, as the world marks Blood Donor Day today.

"Today I am supporting the call for all healthy Ghanaian citizens, to be Champions of Change, please give blood and save lives", Mrs Akufo-Addo who doubles as the Executive Director of the Rebecca Foundation said in a message to mark the day.

She explained that every day in Ghana, hundreds of blood donations make the difference between life and death.

However, with the outbreak of COVID-19, many of the locations that used to host blood drives, have closed their doors.

"It is now even more difficult to maintain sufficient blood supply for people in critical conditions," she said.

Therefore, the First Lady said it was in these times of crisis, "that we must come together to save lives."

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and countries around the world are celebrating The 2020 World Blood Donor Day to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gift of blood.

It is also to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations to ensure that all individuals and communities have access to affordable and timely supplies of safe and quality-assured blood and blood products, as an integral part of universal health coverage and a key component of effective health systems.

The Day has the slogan ‘Share Life, Give Blood’, referring to the caring and cohesion that giving blood and caring for others involve.

One of the aims of the day was to encourage younger people, who might be a bit nervous or unsure about giving blood, to feel encouraged to sign up and start donating, so that the donor population does not decline.

Experts say blood donation saves millions of lives annually and helps with the recovery and health of patients who have illnesses or injuries, complex operations, or childbirth problems.

Blood stocks are also essential in natural and man-made disasters.