In November 2025, Adelina Rangel Martins, the Blood Donation Mobilisation Officer of the Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL), participated in a two-week Blood Service Training held from 6–17 November at the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) in Japan.
The training aimed to enhance learning, exchange experiences, and strengthen CVTL’s Blood Donation Mobilisation System to ensure safe, professional, and effective blood services for communities in Timor-Leste.
“I am very happy to have the opportunity to make this visit and see firsthand how the Japanese Red Cross conducts its blood donation activities. This experience will help CVTL improve our own blood donation mobilisation efforts in Timor. Currently, the challenge we face is that the number of patients needing blood is greater than the number of people donating. Sometimes our emergency blood stock is empty, and even when we contact voluntary donors, they are not always ready,” said Adelina.
The training provided an important opportunity to deepen knowledge and skills related to blood donation promotion, voluntary donor mobilisation, blood collection processes, pre-donation preparation, database management systems, and emergency response.
This visit was made possible through funding support from the Japanese Red Cross Society.
