BEIJING, June 10 (Xinhua) - China witnessed a total of 15.53 million blood donations last year, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).

(File photo: CFP)

In 2020, China's blood donations had increased over 40-fold compared to 1998, the year the Blood Donation Law took effect, said Guo Yanhong, an official with the NHC, at a press conference on Thursday.

The country's average number of blood donations per 1,000 people also rose to 11.1 in 2020 from 4.8 in 1998.

From January to April this year, there were around 5.12 million blood donations registered across China, reflecting a positive trend, Guo said.

China's blood and platelet inventory remained at a safe level this month, Guo added.

According to the Blood Donation Law, the state advocates healthy citizens aged between 18 and 55 to donate blood voluntarily, and encourages personnel of organs of the state, soldiers on active service, and students in colleges and universities to take the lead in doing so.

The law, designed to guarantee the safe use of blood, stipulates that voluntarily donated blood can only be used in clinical practice and must not be sold.