Facebook, Namibia partner to boost local blood donations
Facebook in partnership with the Namibian Blood Transfusion Service (NamBTS) and Ministry of Health and Social Services, this week launched a new feature to encourage people to donate blood.
Locals between the ages of 18 – 65 can sign up to be a blood donor on Facebook by going to Blood Donations in the About section of their profile, or access the link: www.Facebook.com/donateblood. Via facebook people will also be able to find nearby donation sites.
“We are truly excited by the partnership with Facebook the tool will assist us bolster our blood collections during the pandemic and beyond, as only 1% of the population donate blood,” said Zita Tobin, Manager : Donor Recruitment and PR for NamBTS.
This initiative comes at a crucial time due to the impact of the pandemic, resulting in countries starting to see a significant drop in blood donations as people stay home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, despite the World Health Organization saying it is still safe to donate blood.
The feature also launched in Chad, Guinea and Mali this week, making it available in 12 countries across Africa. It is already available in the following countries across the region: Senegal, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Niger, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Since launching in 2017 more than 70 million people have signed up to be blood donors on Facebook through partnerships with blood donation centres around the world.
