While India has progressed considerably, there is still a gap in the country’s requirement of blood supply. As per current statistics, India requires an annual average of 14.6 million blood units, but there is a consistent shortfall of roughly one million units annually[ii]. Addressing this, global healthcare company Abbott has extended its worldwide donor recruitment campaign, ‘BETHE1,’ and launched the first-ever donor campaign song, ‘Give Blood. Get Good Vibes.’
This song aims to inspire Indian youth to donate blood, making blood donation a contemporary, compelling approach to build a healthier India. The vocals are by Tamojit Chatterjee, aka MC Headshot, an Indian hip-hop artist, rapper, lyricist, and stage performer.
Talking about this initiative, MC Headshot said, “I am proud to be a part of this campaign as it aims to help address a very real-life challenge. I hope that all the young people out there will become aware that they can make a difference. If you are healthy and able to donate, I urge you to do so and help save lives”.
The campaign supplements prior on-ground efforts to promote blood donation. The company had launched the campaign in major cities across India, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi, Nagpur, Vizag, Guwahati, Nagpur, and Nashik, with digital and physical assets, mobile donation vans, and more. These sites record approximately 300,000 annual donations, with an encouraging rise in donations by over 20 percent this year.