New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) Expressing concern that blood donation in India was way short of the level in developed countries, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Monday urged the youth to come forward and donate blood.

Speaking at a function to mark World Blood Donors' Day, Azad said youth were in focus with the slogan 'New Blood for the World'.

"Recruiting and retaining young donors not only improves the long term safety and sufficiency of a country’s blood supply, but also promotes safe and healthy lifestyle," the health minister said.

"Safe transfusion of blood requires not only application of science and technology, but also social mobilization to promote voluntary blood donation," he said.

The minister also inaugurated a new model blood bank at the Red Cross Society headquarters in the capital.

According to the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), annual blood donation in India is about 7.5 million units, that is seven donations per thousand people every year. The figure is as high as 50 per thousand in developed countries.

The minister stressed on dealing with the issue urgently and called for voluntary blood donation.

"The main objective of all blood banks is to achieve 100 percent voluntary donation. Further, greater emphasis should be laid on judicious use of blood as well as the components," Azad said.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) figures over 81 million units of blood is collected annually, but only 39 percent of this is collected in developing countries which has 82 percent of the world's population.

The health minister also honoured eight donors who have donated blood over a 100 times and two partner organisations that help the Red Cross in blood collection.