Voluntary blood donation: Million hearts

Student Doan Dinh Tue, first year of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, expressed his excitement when he learned that his name was on the list of nearly 70 members and students of the College of Television who were honored to attend the 25th anniversary of National Voluntary Blood Donation Day (April 7, 2000 - April 7, 2025) and to participate in voluntary blood donation at the Blood Donation Festival "VTV Red Drops" with the theme: Millions of hearts sharing Vietnamese blood, organized by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in coordination with Vietnam Television.

Tue shared that after registering twice, her wish to donate her blood to save the lives of patients has come true. Not only was she able to contribute a part of her blood to patients in need, but her small act has been and is joining hands with everyone to build the voluntary blood donation movement in Vietnam to become more effective and sustainable.

After 25 years of organizing Voluntary Blood Donation Day, the whole country has received nearly 22 million units of blood.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh, Director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (Ministry of Health) said that the voluntary blood donation movement in Vietnam was launched in 1994 with numerous difficulties and challenges. However, under the attention and direction of the Party and State leaders; the support of departments, branches, and socio-political organizations from the central to local levels; the joint efforts and consensus of generations of health workers, the Red Cross, and volunteers working in communication and mobilization, the voluntary blood donation movement in our country has developed day by day, increasingly meeting the needs of people's health care.

On April 7, 2000, on the occasion of World Health Day with the theme “Blood safety starts with me”, the Prime Minister issued a decision on mobilizing and encouraging people to donate blood voluntarily. At the same time, April 7 every year was designated as “National Voluntary Blood Donation Day”. This was a new milestone to promote the voluntary blood donation movement nationwide.

In 2000, the whole country received more than 230,000 units of blood (voluntary blood donation rate was 30%). After 10 years, by 2010, more than 674 thousand units of blood had been received (voluntary blood donation rate was nearly 85%).

By 2024, the country had received more than 1.7 million units of blood (voluntary blood donation rate accounted for more than 98%), thereby providing more than three million blood products to more than 700 medical facilities nationwide. After 25 years of organizing Voluntary Blood Donation Day, the country has received nearly 22 million units of blood.

Along with that, the network of Steering Committees for Voluntary Blood Donation has been established in 100% of provinces and cities; more than 90% of districts and more than 86% of communes and wards. The National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, as a leading specialized institute under the Ministry of Health and a member agency of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, has made great efforts, constantly pioneered, innovated and been the "locomotive" in communication and mobilization work. The Institute has also initiated and launched many national-scale blood donation programs and events, such as: Spring Festival, Red Journey, Red Sunday... attracting millions of people nationwide to participate.

Vice President, General Secretary, and Executive Director of the Vietnam Red Cross Society Nguyen Hai Anh assessed that from the early days full of difficulties and shortages, after 25 years of organizing the National Voluntary Blood Donation Day, the movement has gradually spread widely, becoming a beautiful cultural feature of humanity of the Vietnamese people. Millions of people are ready to donate their precious drops of blood to prolong the lives of critically ill patients, with the motto: Each drop of blood given - a life saved.

Notably, voluntary blood donation has now become a movement with widespread influence, attracting and receiving the attention of the whole society. If in the past there were few organizations, now voluntary blood donation has become an annual activity, a proud cultural beauty of many agencies, businesses, and schools. In particular, in the past, the blood donors were young people and students, but now it has been expanded to all components of society, regardless of age, gender, profession, ethnicity, religion, or region.

In the context of population aging, epidemics, natural disasters, climate change and complex public health issues, the demand for blood for emergency and treatment services will certainly increase.

That requires the voluntary blood donation movement to continue to be maintained, innovated and developed more strongly. In particular, it is necessary to continue to build and develop a force of regular and stable blood donors according to appointment schedules; innovate forms of mobilization, creative communication, apply digital technology to reach the community more effectively; expand the mobilization target, especially among young people, armed forces, businesses and residential communities, with the motto: Donating blood once is like sowing seeds of hope and life for someone in need. At the same time, spreading the message "Donating blood - a priceless gift from the heart" to all people in all regions of the country.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hien-mau-tinh-nguyen-trieu-trai-tim-mot-dong-mau-post870419.html