Islamabad (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 6 March 2026) The Japanese government on Friday announced a grant worth US$65,470 (about Rs 18 million) for the project Pakistan The Red Crescent Society is working to enhance blood donation services in the governorate Federalism Capital, with the aim of renovating a blood donation vehicle to expand awareness, increase blood collection and support thousands of patients in need of life-saving blood transfusions in Islamabad and surrounding areas.
The grant agreement was signed at the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan between Akamatsu Shoichi, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, and representatives of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society under the Japan Grant Program for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).
This initiative, titled “A Project to Renew a Used Blood Donation Vehicle for the Regional Blood Donation Center of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society,” aims to enhance the operational capacity of the Regional Blood Donation Center of the Palestine Red Crescent Society to collect and provide safe blood to vulnerable patients and emergency situations.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Japanese Ambassador Akamatsu said that protecting everyone’s life is central to Japan’s human security approach, noting that ensuring adequate blood stocks is directly linked to saving lives and improving access to medical treatment.
He reiterated that Japan, as a long-term partner of Pakistan, will continue to support capable local organizations through grassroots grants to strengthen human security and humanitarian services across the country.
Founded in 1947, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society runs humanitarian programs at the national level focusing on disaster management, health care and community services. Its blood donation center in Islamabad relies entirely on voluntary, unpaid donors, and has steadily increased annual blood collection over the past decade, although limited outreach capacity has hampered its ability to meet growing demand.
Under this project, the Palestine Red Crescent Society will purchase a refurbished blood donation vehicle from Japan, which will enable the organization to organize mobile Blood donation drives at universities, workplaces, mosques and public places throughout the capital region.
This initiative is expected to enhance blood collection capacity by approximately 30 percent, helping to provide blood transfusions to an estimated 12,000 patients, including those suffering from thalassemia, hemophilia and cancer, as well as road accident victims.