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WHO and K-pop group ENHYPEN team up again to get young people donating blood
In brief
World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met K-pop group ENHYPEN in Seoul on October 22, 2026 to celebrate their joint campaign encouraging young people to donate blood. WHO said its 2026 'Drop Your Drop' campaign, which started on World Blood Donor Day on June 14, received more than 9,000 pledges from 177 countries, with over 3,250 coming from fans who identified as ENGENE, the group's fandom.
From social media to real donations
Through videos and digital content made with WHO, ENHYPEN asked fans to learn about safe blood, pledge to donate and act in their own communities. The members also visited a Korean Red Cross donation centre in Seoul, where all of them went through donor screening and two members, JAY and JUNGWON, donated plasma. WHO says fans in countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, Germany and the United States then shared photos and stories of their own donations.
The meeting at HYBE headquarters also included representatives of South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korean Red Cross, who discussed ways to promote blood donation and other health topics among young people.
Why young donors matter
Blood transfusions save mothers with childbirth complications, children with severe anaemia, accident victims and patients having surgery or treatment for serious illness. Blood and its parts only last a limited time, so supplies must be topped up constantly. WHO says access to safe blood is still very unequal and argues that regular, voluntary, unpaid donors are the best base for a safe supply, which is why it wants more young people to start early and keep giving.
VSH take: this is fandom at its best: turning millions of views into real-world help. Rules differ by country, but in many places you can give whole blood from age 16 or 17 with consent, or 18 without, usually with a minimum weight. Check your local blood service first, and remember that the wait between whole-blood donations is often 8 to 12 weeks. Our date difference calculator can tell you when you are eligible again.
ViralScopeHub is an independent news summary site and is not affiliated with WHO, ENHYPEN, HYBE, BELIFT LAB or the Korean Red Cross. Always follow your national blood service's eligibility rules.
Why it matters
Blood can only be stored for a limited time, so health systems need a steady stream of new, younger donors to keep hospitals supplied.
People also ask
What is the WHO and ENHYPEN blood donation campaign?
A WHO collaboration with K-pop group ENHYPEN, started on World Blood Donor Day on June 14, 2026, that uses music and social media to encourage voluntary, unpaid blood donation among young people.
How many people pledged to donate?
WHO says its 2026 Drop Your Drop campaign received more than 9,000 pledges from 177 countries, including over 3,250 from ENHYPEN fans known as ENGENE.
Can teenagers donate blood?
It depends on the country. Many blood services accept donors from 16 or 17 with parental consent and from 18 without, subject to weight and health checks. Check your national blood service.
Related free tools: Date Difference Calculator
Sources
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