On the occasion of World Blood Donor Day, Facebook has launched Blood Donations on Facebook, a new centre where people in India can find opportunities to donate nearby. It also announced that it is partnering with organizations across India, including the National Blood Transfusion Council, a division of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Giants Welfare Foundation, to set up over 2,000 blood donation events on Facebook this month, which will be featured in the new Blood Donation center.
Dr Shobhini Rajan, Assistant Director General at Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India said, “Creating blood donation events on Facebook can enable voluntary blood donors by giving them easy access to information and also help raise awareness for regular blood donations, especially in our country which faces blood shortage. Our own efforts to ensure adequate and safe blood transfusion services in the country will receive a boost from these events. Additionally, this will also help us retain and engage regular donors. ”
In many countries, including India, blood donations are typically at their lowest during May and June. To help raise awareness of the shortage and the need for donations, Facebook is also running a campaign through the month of June to encourage people to donate blood and educate people about the process of donating blood. The campaign will include stories of people who have helped saved lives using our blood donation features.
Announced at F8, the ‘Blood Donations’ center shows people opportunities to donate in their city, including nearby blood donation events, requests for blood donors and blood banks. People who visit ‘Blood Donations’ on Facebook can also sign up to be a blood donor and get notified directly when there is a need for blood nearby.
Speaking on the initiative, Hema Budaraju, Product Lead, Health, Facebook said, “We know that when donors have information and opportunities to give, they step up to help. But often donors don’t know where and when to donate. Blood Donations on Facebook aims to bridge these gaps by providing information on the opportunities available nearby. We hope that by raising awareness and letting people know where and when they can donate, we can increase blood donations and contribute to a more sustainable blood supply.”
Till date, more than 11 million people have signed up in countries including India, Bangladesh and Pakistan and thousands of donations have been facilitated through Facebook. The Blood Donations centre can be accessed from the explore menu on the device.
