Campaign reaches people in 177 countries, with more than 3,250 participants identifying as fans of the South Korean boy band.
By Bunmi Yekini
The World Health Organization (WHO) has received more than 9,000 blood donation pledges from people in 177 countries through a campaign featuring South Korean K-pop group ENHYPEN, as it seeks to encourage more young people to donate blood and help save lives.
The campaign, launched on World Blood Donor Day on June 14, brought together the global music group’s millions of fans, known as ENGENE, to promote voluntary, unpaid blood donation through social media videos and digital content.
More than 3,250 participants identified themselves as ENGENE, highlighting the role of music and online fan communities in mobilising young people around public health causes, WHO said in a statement on Friday.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met ENHYPEN members and other representatives at the headquarters of HYBE, the group’s entertainment company, in Seoul on Thursday to celebrate the collaboration and discuss ways to expand health advocacy among young people.
“I am proud of all ENHYPEN members’ commitment and collaboration with WHO to promote blood donation and save lives,” Tedros said, adding that the campaign had reached millions of people.
“ENHYPEN and ENGENE have the real power to influence the world. I’m also their fan,” he said.
The group also encouraged fans to translate online pledges into action in their communities, with supporters from countries including Indonesia, the Philippines, Germany and the United States sharing photographs and personal accounts of blood donation.
ENHYPEN members also visited a Korean Red Cross blood donation centre in Seoul, where they underwent donor eligibility screening. Members JAY and JUNGWON donated plasma.
“We launched this campaign hoping our fans would join us, and we’re grateful to see ENGENEs from all around the world taking part,” the group said. “We hope to continue creating meaningful change together with our fans.”
Blood transfusions are essential for women experiencing complications during childbirth, children with severe anaemia, people injured in accidents and patients undergoing surgery or treatment for serious illnesses. Blood products are also critical during emergencies, disasters and conflicts.
However, access to safe blood remains unequal across the world, with patients in low-income countries facing some of the greatest difficulties in obtaining adequate supplies.
WHO advocates for national blood services that provide safe, sufficient and sustainable supplies through regular, voluntary, unpaid donations.
Encouraging young people to become regular donors is particularly important because donated blood and its components have a limited shelf life, making continuous donations necessary to maintain supplies.
The agency says voluntary donation is central to ensuring that blood is available when patients need it, without relying on unsafe or unreliable sources.
The partnership with ENHYPEN forms part of WHO’s broader effort to use public engagement and community participation to improve health outcomes, particularly among younger generations.
The organisation hopes the campaign will encourage more people not only to pledge donations but also to become regular blood donors, helping health services meet the needs of patients whose survival depends on timely access to safe blood.