Thai Red Cross New Year’s Eve Resolution: Give blood, drive safe
For many people around the world, New Year’s Eve celebrations are filled with champagne and cocktails. But as 2010 came to a close, the Thai Red Cross planned ahead for the holiday season by focusing on road safety. New Year’s Eve marked the launch of “Give blood and don’t drive crazy on the road,” a campaign supported by the Global Road Safety Partnership, that aims to reduce the number of collisions, and consequently, the need for blood transfusion for victims of road crashes.
“A large portion of the blood supply in hospitals is used on victims of road collisions,” explains Ryan Duly, Global Road Safety Partnership Regional Advisor for South East Asia. “By creating awareness for road safety, it ultimately allows the Thai Red Cross to use donated blood on other vulnerable groups.”
To implement the campaign, the Thai Red Cross will be working with the Red Cross Red Crescent initiative, CLUB 25, a group that encourages youth to visit blood centres to learn about healthy lifestyles and donate blood regularly. The goal is for each youth to make 20 blood donations by 25 years of age.
The campaign not only demonstrates the value of the Global Road Safety Partnership with Red Cross Red Crescent Societies, but it also shows that tackling this global, man-made crisis can be original and effective.
