“Blood donation is an act of solidarity. Donate blood, save lives!” This is the slogan of this year’s national campaign to promote voluntary blood donation, launched by the Ministry of Health and the National Blood Transfusion Center. The campaign will run until June 30, IPN reports.

Donors are asked to visit the blood collection centers opened in multiple locations across the country. People can donate 450 ml of blood four to five times a year, with at least two months in between. The blood is collected from healthy people, aged 18-60 years, and the procedure takes about ten minutes, according to a press release.

The Ministry of Health says that in order to supply health care institutions with the necessary amounts of blood products, it is important that donations are made regularly. Each year, 70,000 donations of blood and blood components are needed.

World Blood Donor Day is marked annually on June 14th.