Facebook launches online blood donations center for Pakistan, India, Bangladesh

• New feature on social media giant’s website helps people to sign up as blood donors and be notified when they are needed to donate nearby
• More than 11 million have already signed up and Facebook says thousands of donations have been facilitated through the center

ISLAMABAD: To encourage its hundreds of millions of users in three major South Asian countries, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, Facebook launched a blood donations center on its website.
This new online center was launched to mark the World Blood Donor Day to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gift of blood and to raise awareness about regular blood donations.
The new feature gives donors an opportunity to donate blood in their respective cities, by sharing information about blood donation events nearby, requests from blood banks, and other blood donors.
It also enables organizations to add requests and events to the center.
“There is a severe shortage and need for blood of all types in Pakistan, especially when disaster strikes and in the case of emergencies,” the Pakistan Red Crescent Society said on its website.
“Pakistan is among those countries where the voluntary blood donation rate is very low.” Arshad Gill, who runs a blood testing lab and works with blood-banks in Islamabad, told Arab News.
Gill added: “Though no official data was compiled, estimates prepared by blood banks and health practitioners show that only 10 percent of blood comes from voluntary donors, and the rest people arrange in case of medical emergencies either through relatives or from those who donate for money.”
“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,” Hema Budaraju, product lead, health, Facebook, said in a statement.
People who visit the center on Facebook can also sign up to be a donor and be notified directly when there is a need for blood nearby.
Currently, more than 11 million people have signed up in countries including Pakistan, India and Bangladesh and thousands of donations have been facilitated through Facebook, the social media giant said in a statement.
“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,” she added.
People in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh can visit facebook.com/blooddonations to find out more about the program and places to donate.