Jakarta PMI Urges Youth to Make Blood Donation a Lifestyle

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) of DKI Jakarta Province is encouraging the public, especially the younger generation, to make blood donation a part of a healthy lifestyle in order to increase the number of blood donors.

“PMI DKI Jakarta continues to urge the community, particularly young people, to make blood donation a part of a healthy lifestyle,” said PMI DKI Jakarta Chairman Beky Mardani during the commemoration of World Blood Donor Day 2026, themed ‘One Drop of Humanity, Give Blood, Save Lives’, at Monas, Central Jakarta, on Sunday.

Beky explained that voluntary blood donors are humanitarian heroes. According to him, every drop of blood donated can provide hope for life to others and is proof that compassion can save lives. He stated that blood donation is not merely a medical act, but also a tangible expression of social solidarity that must be continuously fostered within society.

During the World Blood Donor Day commemoration, PMI DKI Jakarta also carried out several activities, including distributing souvenirs to 1,950 voluntary blood donors at PMI headquarters across the province and city level, as well as organising a short video competition promoting blood donation.

“We gave awards to several institutions and blood donor groups that managed to collect the most blood bags in each city area and the Thousand Islands Regency,” he said.

Beky noted that the World Blood Donor Day commemoration was further enlivened by an educational talk on the benefits of blood donation. Other activities included free health check-up services from the DKI Jakarta Health Office and blood type tests supported by the Humanitarian Service Academy and the Indonesian Blood Service Technicians Association (PTPDI).

“Through this World Blood Donor Day commemoration, we hope that the values of the Red Cross and the spirit of volunteerism can continue to thrive in society, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, religion, or race,” he said.

The peak event of the World Blood Donor Day commemoration began with a fun walk involving more than 1,000 participants, including representatives from various institutions, blood donor groups, and the general public.

Earlier, PMI General Chairman Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, in Jakarta on Sunday, expressed his appreciation to the millions of Indonesians who regularly donate blood for humanitarian purposes. “This contribution is vital and forms a major part of supporting the availability of blood for those in need,” he said. He emphasised that blood donors are the main pillar in maintaining the national blood supply and are an inseparable part of the global humanitarian movement.