More than 1,000 people donate blood at the Hanh Trinh Do campaign in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on June 27.

According to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT), one of the campaign’s organisers, 14 provinces and cities have held blood donation festivals since early June.

Provinces like Bến Tre and Hậu Giang collected 700 to 800 units of blood each in the first time they took part in the campaign.

Lai Châu and Kiên Giang provinces and Hải Phòng City recorded the largest amount of donated blood with more than 1,000 units from each locality.

The Red Journey 2020, held for the eighth time, started on June 6 and will last until August 8.

It is expected to be held in 28 more localities in the next month.

Besides blood mobilisation, Red Journey has honoured outstanding blood donors, presented gifts to patients at health care facilities and organised events to raise public awareness on the blood disorder thalassemia.

Last year, the campaign collected more than 86,000 units of blood.

Launched in 2013, Red Journey has become the largest annual blood donation campaign.

Seven campaigns held in the previous years collected more than 250,000 units of blood.

It has contributed to promoting communication, raising awareness about voluntary blood donation and promoting the blood donation movement.

It is also an opportunity to increase communication about congenital haemolytic disease, as well as train and maintain a volunteer force for the blood donation movement. — VNS