Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan praised the honorees not only for their frequent donations – some exceeding 60, 80, 90, or even 100 contributions – but also for their noble spirit.

The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.

First launched in 2008 to address post-Tet blood shortages, the festival expanded nationwide in 2010 under the direction of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation Campaign. Over 17 editions, the festival has attracted hundreds of thousands of donors across the nation, with the Hanoi event – hosted by the institute – collecting nearly 120,000 blood units.

Organised by the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) and the capital’s youth blood donation advocacy association, the 18th Xuan Hong blood donation festival, Vietnam’s largest annual blood donation drive, will run for nine days, from February 8 to 16.

Thirty years after the blood donation movement was officially launched (January 24, 1994 - January 24, 2024), Vietnam has mobilised and received over 21.3 million units of blood, with the number of volunteer donors hitting 99%, according to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

The National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) recorded 1,269 blood and 359 platelet donors from February 8-14, higher than the previous years.

Over the last three decades, Vietnam has witnessed the strong development of the voluntary blood donation movement, which reflects not only people’s solidarity and humanity but also awareness improvement in society.

The Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP), in collaboration with the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT), recently held a voluntary blood donation event with the spirit of "One drop of blood given - One life saved", spreading the humanitarian movement, on the occasion of the VBSP’s 21st founding anniversary (October 4).

The National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion has been organising a training programme from June 12 to August 4 for autologous stem cell transplantation techniques for multiple myeloma in several hospitals nationwide.

The 2023 Highlights of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in Asia-Pacific workshop opened in Hanoi on March 10.

The Hanoi-based National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NTHBT) had stored more than 5,500 umbilical cord blood units in its stem cell bank as of June 2022, many of which have been used in life-saving transplants for people with serious diseases.

A blood donation festival kicked off in Hanoi on July 26, as part of the 10th “Hanh trinh do” (Red Journey), a communication and blood donation campaign underway in 46 cities and provinces nationwide.

April 7 was designated as the “All People’s Voluntary Blood Donation Day” 22 years ago and, ever since, the blood donation movement has developed on a large scale and won over widespread support.

A feature for blood donations in Vietnam will be launched on Facebook social network on February 16, enabling donors to easily connect with blood reception facilities.

The Red Spring Festival, the largest blood donation event in Vietnam that turns 15 this year, kicked off in Hanoi on February 12.

The Government’s Resolution No.128/NQ-CP promoting provisional regulations on safe, flexible adaptation to and effective control of COVID-19 is a sound policy at present, said experts at a seminar held by the Government Portal on October 18.

A delegation of the Ministry of Health led by Minister Nguyen Thanh Long arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on August 15 afternoon to work with the city's authorities in COVID-19 prevention and control.

A blood donation drive is taking place at Quan Su Pagoda, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi from August 1-8.

The 14th Red Spring Festival, the largest blood donation drive in the country, collected more than 8,300 blood units during one week from March 1, announced the organising board on March 7.

The 14th Red Spring Festival - the year's biggest blood donation event – kicked off at a ceremony in Hanoi on February 28 with the theme “Safe blood donation – Don’t be afraid of COVID-19”.