Dar es Salaam, 24th May 2021 | Today, Facebook has launched its Blood Donations feature in Tanzania in partnership with the Tanzania National Blood Service (NBTS). The feature will help the NBTS connect its seven blood donation centres in Tanzania to blood donors across the country.
Facebook’s blood donation feature aims to encourage people to donate blood and will enable anyone in Tanzania between 18-65 years old to sign up to receive notifications about blood donation opportunities nearby. The feature also allows people to invite their friends and family to sign up to receive updates about giving blood.
Since its founding in 2004, the Tanzania NBTS has evolved from a hospital-based system relying on more than 80% of family replacement donors, to a coordinated centralized system based on voluntary non-remunerated blood donors. According to NBTS, youth and students in Tanzania are the most important group of blood donors because they account for 80% of the blood supply. The launch of this blood donation feature will enable Facebook users to more easily connect with blood donation centers across Tanzania.
Commenting on the launch, Facebook's Head of Public Policy for East & Horn of Africa Mercy Ndegwa said, “We are excited to launch our blood donation feature to help the Tanzania National Blood Transfusion Service address the blood needs in Tanzania. Facebook is committed to building safe and supportive communities which is why we’ve launched this feature in collaboration with Tanzania NBTS to serve the needs of the Tanzania blood donation ecosystem.”
The Blood Donations feature on Facebook consists of two key components:
- Option to sign up to receive notifications — Facebook users can sign up to receive notifications about nearby opportunities to give blood.
- Blood banks inspire potential donors - Trusted blood donation centers working with Tanzania National Blood Transfusion Services who need to find donors can create page posts that inform donors what they need and include a call to action button that allows donors to contact them directly from the post.
Since launching the Blood Donations feature in October 2017, over 85 million people have signed up to receive notifications from nearby blood banks about opportunities to donate in more than 30 countries. Tanzania is the 13th country in Africa to launch the feature.
How It Works
People between the ages of 18 - 65 in Tanzania can sign up to be a blood donor on Facebook by going to Blood Donations in the About section of their profile or access it through this link: facebook.com/donateblood
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