KUWAIT: The theme of this year's World Blood Donor Day, 'New Blood for the World,' focuses on emphasizing the need to involve younger generations in giving blood to help save lives. Kuwait's Ministry of Health (MoH) is marking today's global event with an open day at the Kuwait Central Blood Bank (KCBB) headquarters, with health minister Helal Al-Sayer set to announce the launch of a new initiative, 'Club 25,' during the celebrations, which begin at 7:00 AM this morning. A number of Kuwaiti dignitaries and celebrities are expected to attend the launch event.

The Kuwait Times talked with Dr. Rana Abdulrazzaq, the KCBB's Director of Medical and Donor Affairs, to find out more about the Club 25 program. Dr. Abdulrazzaq explained that Club 25 is an international voluntary initiative first launched in Zimbabwe ten years ago. The inspiration for the name came from the idea that each member should have given blood 25 times before reaching their twenty-fifth birthday. Since its launch, the initiative has spread across Africa, as well as being adopted in Latin America and some parts of the Far East.

The senior KCBB official explained that the Club 25 initiative, which was first introduced to Kuwait two years ago, will involve targeting school, college and university students as prospective blood donors. She explained that those who participate in the initiative in Kuwait will not be asked to meet the strict standards of the original concept, but will be expected to give blood at least 25 times throughout their lives.

Dr. Abdulrazzaq explained that those participating in the Club 25 campaign will include KCBB volunteers, with the targets including young school, college and university students. This Club 25 initiative, which is set to last for seven weeks, is set to begin with a 'mobile blood donation campaign,' which will see volunteers traveling to four malls in Kuwait - the Avenues, Manshar, Al-Kout and the 360 Mall - to urge members of the public, young and old, to give blood and help save lives. She added that volun
teers will first visit the Avenues Mall on Wednesday to launch this part of the campaign there.

The KCCB official said that among the young volunteers already playing a part in the campaign are pupils from the British School of Kuwait and students from Kuwait University. However, she continued, the club needs to expand its membership outwith the public education sector to include pupils and students at the country's private schools and universities. Dr. Abdulrazzaq appealed for greater media exposure of such important life-saving initiatives - Kuwait Times