ISLAMABAD (APP) - Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the present government has taken concrete steps to ensure that every person in the country has access to safe blood for transfusion. In a message on the occasion of 57th birthday celebrations of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the World Blood Donor Day, the Prime Minister said World Blood Donor Day is celebrated annually on June 14 as a global celebrations of the 'Gift of Blood given by voluntary donors to save the lives of those in need. He said the day aims to raise awareness among the people about the need for safe blood and to thank and honour those who donate blood. It will also encourage the existing and the potential donors to regularly donate blood on a voluntary basis, he noted. Gilani said this year the World Blood Donor Day celebrations will coincide with the 57th birthday celebrations of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The week-long blood donation campaign from June 14 to 21, will start from the World Blood Donor Day and culminate on the birthday of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, he added. In this way, he said, the nation will not only pay homage to the voluntary blood donors who donate blood for the anonymous patients but will also acknowledge the supreme sacrifice of the great leader. He said safe blood for transfusion to all has been emphasized in the forthcoming National Health Policy. In addition, the Ministry of Health has assigned the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) to implement a safe blood transfusion project in Pakistan. And I am pleased to note that the NACP has already prepared and got approved from the Planning Commission, the National Blood Transfusion Service project PC-1. The Prime Minister appreciated the Ministry of Health for its efforts and said the project, which is jointly funded by the governments of Pakistan and Germany, has already been launched throughout the country. I wish NACP and the Ministry of Health all the best in successfully implementing this project of immense public health significance.