Club 25 aims to have voluntary and non-remunerated young people around the world donate blood 25 times before they turn the age of 25. The Club 25 health programme was successfully developed in African and Asian countries in 1991 and is now starting to be implemented in the Americas.
From 21 to 24 March, 230 people from 67 different countries and 49 National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent are attending the 10th International Colloquium on the recruitment of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors in Santiago (Chile). They are discussing ways of building quality into donor recruitment and engaging young people in blood donor recruitment strategies. They are also assessing the role of communication and education tools to scale up the impact of voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation around the world, particularly in Latin America. The colloquium is hosted by Chilean Red Cross and promoted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Club 25 is designed for young people not only to give blood to save life, but also to attend a blood centres, learn about healthy lifestyles and share what they have learned with their community. Blood donors can also remain active in health promotion activities by fighting against HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and other health risk behaviours, as well as promoting first aid, good nutrition and physical exercise campaigns.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, working in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has supported this initiative and has positioned itself to take a leading role as an information provider to voluntary blood donors. “Younger people are searching for tangible expressions of hope. The gift of blood provides such an expression, the work of educating and motivating donors is a powerful tool for solidarity and community development at all levels,” says Bruce Eshaya-Chauvin, Head of the Health and Care Department at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
As health and care in the community has been a core area for the Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies and due to its potential impact in other parts of the world, Club 25 has been chosen as the lead topic of the colloquium. It will be implemented soon in Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Belize, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay Jamaica, Haiti and Guyana.