Mr. Speaker, I am happy voice my commitment and the government's commitment to the thousands of Canadians who give and receive blood or blood products each and every day by supporting the designation of the second week in June as national blood donor week.
The need for donated blood in Canada is ongoing. Recruiting and sustaining donors currently relies on day to day hard work and targeted campaigns throughout the year. A recent example was the November 2006 Operation Roll Up Your Sleeves campaign through which more than 20,000 Canadians donated blood and good wishes in honour of our Canadian Forces troops and veterans.
It was during the second world war that Canadians began donating blood and the country's first blood bank was born. Today, we have a system that crosses the country and is there when Canadians need it, every day of the year.
To meet our nation's requirements, one million units of blood must be collected from about 600,000 Canadians. That number represents just 5% of the population whose generous donations will give the gift of life to accident survivors, cancer patients, transplant recipients and many others, including myself.
Somebody in each of our lives has required or will require donated blood or blood components. Honouring Canada's blood donors through a national blood donor week makes it all the more likely the system will be there the next time our loved ones need it.
Canadians can also expect the need for blood to increase due to commitments across the country to decrease surgical wait times and advancements in science and technology that lead to new medical interventions. Designating a national blood donor week will help meet the need by encouraging existing donors to keep donating, infrequent donors to become regular donors and new donors to come forward.
However, it does not end there.
A sustainable blood donation system relies on other types of generosity too. Some people are unable to donate blood for health or other reasons, but this does not mean they cannot help. The warm smile and small talk that welcomes first time donors and calms their jittery nerves comes from a volunteer. The community blood drives that make it possible to donate rely largely on the work of volunteers. Volunteers spread the word and attract new donors by speaking publicly and privately about blood donation.
Recruiting and encouraging donors is an ongoing activity for which there will always be a need. The creation of national blood donor week will help to attract all types of skills required to keep the system going year round.
The demand for blood and blood products is constant throughout the year, but the reality is that donations drop off in the summer months. During the summer a drop in donations is managed through targeted drives for certain blood types, or in certain areas, or certain times such as long weekends when road accidents are more likely to happen.
The creation of a national blood donor week during the second week of June will remind existing and potential donors that the system still needs and appreciates them. It may also help to make those targeted blood drives all the more productive.
The second week in June also marks the World Health Organization's World Blood Day. The purpose of this day is threefold: to highlight the need for safe blood products; to thank and honour blood donors; and to encourage regular donation. Both the Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec support and are involved in the celebration of World Blood Day on June 14.
By designating the second week of June as Canada's national blood donor week, we will be joining international efforts to achieve safe blood systems everywhere.
I urge all my colleagues to vote in favour of designating the second week in June as national blood donor week so we can show existing blood donors, other volunteers and those yet to come that the existence of a safe blood and blood component supply will be there when their loved ones need it. It is their kindness and generosity that is appreciated by all Canadians.