People donate blood at the last event of the 2018 Red Journey campaign (Photo: VOV)Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanh Trinh Do(Red Journey) 2018 blood donation campaign has organised 100 events across 26provinces and cities nationwide, attracting thousands of participants andcollecting more than 42,000 blood units.
The figures were announced at the lastblood donation event of the one-month campaign, which took place in Hanoi onJuly 14.
The event, a highlight of campaign inHanoi, featured a camping site, a street parade, and a “Globin Cipher”communications programme to raise community awareness of thalassemia - agenetic blood disorder that can lead to heart failure and liver problems. Itwas expected to receive 3,000 blood units.
At a conference reviewing outcomes of the “RedJourney” 2018 held as part of the event, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen VietTien praised active response to and participation in the campaign of the VietnamRed Cross Society, authorities of different levels and hospitals nationwide, amongothers.
He said the next year’s campaign shouldfocus on boosting communication activities and blood donation in rural andremote areas and on islands.
“Red Journey” is a cross-country campaigninitiated by the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation andthe National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion in 2013. It aims toraise public awareness of blood donation and thalassaemia, and to address theshortage of blood for medical use.
Over the past five years, more than 120,000blood units were collected, helping to reduce blood shortages during summer andsaves lives of thousands of patients across the country.
In 2017, the campaign collected over 38,000blood units nationwide.-VNA
VNA
