June 14 marks the World Blood Donor Day and is observed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) worldwide. To help raise awareness of the shortage and the need for blood donations, social media giant Facebook has launched a blood donation centre in India.
June 14 marks the World Blood Donor Day and is observed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) worldwide. To help raise awareness of the shortage and the need for blood donations, social media giant Facebook has launched a blood donation centre in India.
Called ‘Blood Donations on Facebook’, the new centre shows opportunities for people to donate blood nearby in their cities. The centre was announced at F8 developers’ conference earlier this year.
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. The Blood Donations centre can be accessed from the explore menu on the device.
Facebook has also announced its partnership with organizations across India, including the National Blood Transfusion Council, a division of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Giants Welfare Foundation. Under the partnership, it seeks to set up over 2,000 blood donation events on Facebook this month. These events will also feature in the new Blood Donation center, the company said in a statement.
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 company said.
Additionally, Facebook is 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 includes stories of people who have helped saved lives using our blood donation features.
Speaking on the occasion 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. ”
