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Blood donors will be sent text messages whenever they save someone's life in a new initiative launched in Sweden.

It's hoped the move will help tackle the decline in blood donation rates in the country, which are mirrored across the rest of the developed world.

People who donate will initially receive a 'thank you' text when they give blood and then get another message when their blood makes it into somebody else’s veins.

(Image: Rex)

Karolina Blom Wiberg, a communications manager at the Stockholm blood service told The Independent: "We are constantly trying to develop ways to express [donors'] importance."

“We want to give them feed back on their effort, and we find this is a good way to do that.”

The service believes that the positive messages sent to donors about how they've helped others will encourage them to donate again.

The initiative has also provoked discussion on social media.

It was started in Stockholm three years ago but is gradually being rolled out by other local areas across the country after a positive reception.

In Britain, as in most Western countries, there has been a huge decline in blood donations.

According to NHS figures, there are 40 per cent fewer donors today than there were ten years ago.

The NHS Blood and Transplant service is also looking at new ways to increase donations, and has turned to a viral marketing campaign to highlight the shortfall.

During National Blood Donation Week street signs and shop fronts around the country had the letters ‘O’ and ‘A’ quietly removed - representing the missing blood types.

Jon Latham, the organisation’s assistant director for donor services, said they "can't ignore" the stark decline in the number of new donors.

“While we can meet the needs of patients now, it’s important we strengthen the donor base for the future," he said.