WHO Africa launches 2026 World Blood Donor Day campaign highlighting critical blood shortages across the continent that threaten emergency care and maternal health services. The regional office emphasizes voluntary donation as essential for healthcare system functionality. — A police officer serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia donates blood at the AMISOM Force Headquarters.jpg by AMISOM Public Information / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD, is Editor-in-Chief of the Georgian Medical Journal and Chair of the Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG). He is Professor and Head of the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at David Tvildiani Medical University, and Secretary/Treasurer of the UEMS Section of Public Health. ORCID: 0000-0001-7609-4515.