On Wednesday Namibia celebrated Blood Donor Day for the first time. Some 20,000 blood units are collected from donors for Namibain hospitals each year, said Dr Björn von Finckenstein of the blood transfusion service. But each year at Christmas and during the malaria period a shortage was experienced. WHO representative Dr Custodia Mandlathe (photo) said Namibia was one of 49 countries that got 100 % blood from voluntary donors - out of 124 countries reporting to WHO. At the occasion in Windhoek the national guidelines for appropriate use of blood in clinics were launched. Photo: Brigitte Weidlich