The 15th “Grateful Red Drops” blood donation festival is taking place at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) in Hanoi and several other locations, running continuously from July 18 - 27, the longest duration in the event’s history.
The event is part of the nationwide "Red Journey – Connecting Vietnamese Blood" campaign, aimed at collecting a large volume of blood to meet emergency and treatment needs during the summer. This year’s programme is expected to receive at least 4,000 units of blood. As of the opening ceremony on July 21, nearly 3,000 people had already donated blood.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ha Thanh, Director of the NIHBT, the 2025 Red Journey is being held in 32 out of 34 provinces and cities during June and July. So far, the campaign has reached 30 provinces and cities, with 41 provincial-level donation events and over 25,000 units of blood collected. In addition, tens of thousands of units have been received through local events responding to the campaign. The volume collected has significantly contributed to ensuring a stable blood supply for patients nationwide.
Over the past 12 years, the “Grateful Red Drops” event in Hanoi has received nearly 45,000 units of blood.
The Vietnam Youth Association for Blood Donation mobilised more than 65,000 units of blood in 2024 alone, and over 32,000 in the first half of 2025. This impressive figures reflect the growing impact and sustainability of voluntary blood donation efforts in the capital, Thanh added.
Chairman of the Vietnam Youth Association for Blood Donation Trinh Xuan Thuy said in the lead-up to this year’s campaign, more than 1,000 volunteers helped encourage friends and family to donate blood and promoted the event on social media. Prior to the official launch, the 2025 “Grateful Red Drops” event had already received over 2,000 units of blood.
First held in July 2011, the event aims to inspire community involvement, especially among young people, in humanitarian activities, promoting compassion and solidarity. Over the past 12 years, the programme has attracted millions of participants and collected more than 940,000 units of blood./.
