Each year, on December 5th, the world celebrates the quiet, powerful force that binds our communities: volunteerism. The theme of this year International Volunteer Day (IVD) is "Every Contribution Matters," a message that resonates deeply with the spirit of generosity in Lao PDR. Nowhere is this truth more evident than in the urgent need for blood donation.

Here in Lao PDR, the need for blood is a constant, pressing reality - a critical public health challenge that our collective commitment can overcome.

Demand often surges due to emergencies: high numbers of road accident victims, mothers experiencing severe bleeding during or after childbirth, and patients battling diseases like severe dengue fever and thalassemia. For these individuals, a ready supply of safe blood is not merely treatment, it is the difference between life and death. The Lao Red Cross and the National Blood Transfusion Center (NBTC) work tirelessly, yet the gap between demand and supply remains a significant challenge to our nation’s health system.

A Volunteerism That Flows

Volunteerism is commonly understood as giving time, skills, or expertise to a cause. In the context of blood donation, it becomes a uniquely personal and powerful act of solidarity. Donating blood is perhaps the most tangible, equitable, and immediate way to volunteer. It requires no specialized training or long-term commitment, only the willingness to share a small part of yourself for the benefit of a complete stranger.

As the UNDP Resident Representative, advocating for the pivotal role of UN Volunteers and all forms of selflessness, I see the blood donation drive hosted at the UN House in Vientiane as a perfect manifestation of the IVD 2025 theme. When an individual steps forward to donate, they prove that "Every Contribution Matters." A single donation can save up to three lives, directly contributing to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being.

Strengthening Resilience, One Unit at a Time

From the perspective of the National Blood Transfusion Center, our mandate is clear: to ensure every Lao citizen has access to safe, adequate, and timely blood supplies. However, our ability to achieve this depends entirely on voluntary, unpaid donors. The challenge is not only collecting enough blood, but also building a culture of regular, non-remunerated donation - a resilient social infrastructure capable of withstanding the emergencies that continually test our public health capacity.

By collaborating with the UN system and the wider development community in Laos, we aim to institutionalize blood donation as a key component of national volunteerism. This partnership leverages the influence of the UN to amplify our national message, encouraging not only UN personnel, but also the diplomatic community, private sector partners, and the general public to join this movement.

A Simple Act, A Stronger Nation

The joint blood donation drive on International Volunteer Day is more than an event, it is a vital step toward building a stronger, more resilient Lao PDR. We are demonstrating that global partnership and national health priorities intersect seamlessly through the simple power of human kindness.

Let us honor the spirit of IVD 2025 by ensuring that our collective generosity provides a sustainable lifeline for everyone in Laos who needs it most.