Facebook Launches Blood Donations Feature In PH
Facebook launched its Blood Donations feature in the Philippines on Wednesday, March 10.
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Together with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), people can sign up to get notifications about donating blood at the nearest DOH and PRC blood service facilities.
Since June 2020, these agencies have been requesting more Filipinos to donate blood due to a supply shortage.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the pandemic underscored the importance of blood donations across the Philippines. Through their partnership with Facebook, they’re hoping to reach more potential donors and build a stable and safe supply of blood that can save lives.
Blood Donations feature
Facebook users aged 18-65 in the Philippines will see the Blood Donations feature on their feeds starting Wednesday.
By clicking it, users can sign up to receive notifications about donating blood on Facebook and set a reminder. They will also get to see which nearby blood service facilities need blood donations as well as invite people on Facebook to join the initiative.
Facebook Philippines’ Head of Public Policy Clare Amador said that potential donors don’t know where and when to donate, but when they have information and opportunities to give blood, they step up to help their community, according to research. She added that together with the Department of Health and the Philippine Red Cross, they aim to help boost voluntary blood donations and build sustainable blood supply across the country.
Image from Pexel
Since the Blood Donations feature was launched in 2017, over 85 million people have signed up to receive notifications from nearby blood service facilities about opportunities to donate.
“To ensure that we have adequate blood supply, at least 1 percent of our country’s population should donate. Due to the quarantine restrictions and fear brought by the COVID19 pandemic, volunteer blood donors have been limited. The Philippine Red Cross appeals to those who want to help and save the lives of people in need of blood to sign up for Facebook’s Blood Donation feature. We have blood donation centers nationwide which follow health protocols so that people can safely donate blood. Nothing is more meaningful than being able to save the lives of others by donating your own precious blood,” said Sen. Richard Gordon, PRC chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
The Blood Donations feature is available in 31 countries, including the Philippines. To register as a donor on Facebook, visit Facebook Philippines’ Blood Donations page.
Source: Philippine News Agency
