Thousands of people, mainly students and young volunteers, donated blood on January 11 as the 18th Red Sunday (Chu nhat do) blood donation campaign got under way at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, according to VNA.
The annual programme is organised by Tien Phong Newspaper, in coordination with the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, the national Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.
Speaking at the event, Tien Phong Editor-in-Chief Phung Cong Suong said Red Sunday has, over 17 years, grown into a nationwide movement connecting millions of donors and supplying hundreds of thousands of blood units to hospitals, particularly during Tet.
HUST Vice Rector Huynh Dang Chinh described voluntary blood donation as a noble act reflecting social responsibility and compassion, noting the university regularly contributes nearly 2,000 units per campaign.
Miss Vietnam 2024 Ha Truc Linh, who also attended the event, said, “I was impressed by how many students came to Red Sunday and how enthusiastic they were.”
Launched in 2009, Red Sunday now runs nationwide from December to March to help ease seasonal blood shortages. In the first three months of 2026, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion is expected to need approximately 122,000 units of blood to supply more than 180 medical facilities in the northern region.
Vietnam has long experienced seasonal blood shortages, partly linked to cultural hesitancy around blood donation, a challenge seen in several East Asian societies.
