Abstract
abstract: Objectives: the aim of the study is to determine the percentages of blood donors among general population in Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq, in an attempt to increase their proportion through encouraging healthy voluntary donation. Then to report the issue of polycythemia and discouraging the contributing unhealthy habits like smoking, especially among young people. Methods: subjects enrolled in this study were the blood donors at Mosul Central Blood Bank in Nineveh, Iraq. Data were reviewed retrospectively, from March, 2019 to March 2020. For whole blood donors in general and for polycythemic ones, who donate blood as a therapeutic measure. Results: the total number of donors were 36940. Percentage of blood donors among general population was 2.27 %, while 99.43 % were male donors. Prevalence of polycythemic subjects among general population of Mosul city was 0.04 %, among blood donors was 1.65 %. while 88.87 % of polycythemic donors were male, and the distribution of polycythemia was higher in those aged 35 years and less (38.46 %). Conclusions: the percentages of blood donors in general population was low, which need to increase through encouragement and improve commitment. The prevalence of polycythemic subjects in those aged ≤ 35 years was high which necessity intensification of the awareness among those productive age groups.
