Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – The Lao Red Cross Society announced its key work plan for 2026 at its annual work conference, outlining several goals for improving people's livelihoods and providing humanitarian services, ensuring the country's medical blood supply, and enhancing disaster emergency response capabilities.
According to the plan, the Lao Red Cross Society aims to collect 85,000 units of blood in 2026 to meet the continuously growing clinical blood needs of hospitals nationwide. The Vientiane Blood Transfusion Center will be responsible for collecting 36,000 units, while provincial and county-level blood donation centers will be responsible for collecting 49,000 units.
Meanwhile, the Society has also set several humanitarian service goals: training at least 500 first aid trainers and volunteers; expanding its emergency rescue teams to at least two new areas; preparing relief supplies to assist at least 2,000 vulnerable groups and disaster-stricken families; and continuously strengthening disaster prevention and emergency response capabilities to ensure timely relief and initial assistance to affected populations after a disaster.
The aforementioned plan was officially announced at the Lao Red Cross Society's annual meeting held last week. The meeting comprehensively reviewed the achievements of 2025 and planned key tasks for 2026. The meeting was chaired by Lao Red Cross Society President Khamphanh Chantharavann, and Lao Prime Minister Somsay Siphandone attended and gave instructions.
Prime Minister Somsay urged the Lao Red Cross Society to further expand public participation and mobilize resources from all sectors of society to improve work efficiency; he emphasized the need to strengthen legal education and publicize the responsibilities of the Red Cross Society, focusing on emergency relief, blood donation recruitment, and ensuring a safe blood supply nationwide. He also pointed out that community health, risk prevention and control, disaster response, and emergency relief are core humanitarian tasks.
The meeting reported on the Lao Red Cross's outstanding achievements in 2025: a total of 72,452 bags of blood were collected throughout the year, exceeding the established blood collection target; during last year's floods, the Red Cross provided various forms of assistance, including cash donations, to families affected by the disasters in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Sayaboury, Huaphan, Xieng Khouang, and Bolikhamxay provinces, while also distributing relief supplies to impoverished families in Khammouane, Salavan, Sekong, Champasak, and Attapeu provinces.
Furthermore, the Lao Red Cross made significant progress in areas such as community health services, first aid training, emergency rescue and support, promotion of voluntary blood donation, fundraising, membership and volunteer development, and international cooperation. (End)
