Due to acute blood shortage in the country, Facebook has partnered with Kenya’s Ministry of Health in a fresh campaign drive to alert Kenyans on the situation with the hope they donate more blood.
This development comes a day after Health CAS Dr Rashid Aman publicly raised worries over low amounts of blood in the bank since COVID-19 pandemic.
Many people have developed the fear to visit hospitals or visit blood donation centre which are often temporary structures put randomly in major streets within the country.
According to Dr Aman, the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) collected about 500 pints of blood every day before the coronavirus pandemic.
In the Facebook blood donation campaign, there is a feature that indicates which area, in particular, needs blood.
It indicates the areas within a certain locality where one can safely donate blood.
Besides, one can also register as a potential blood donor and wait for a notification when blood is needed in the location you are in. Facebook will alert you.
The ministry has since rolled out a blood donation drive in various places and has urged Kenyans to donate saying that the stock in the bank is strained.
“As part of the effort to appeal to our people to volunteer and donate blood, we have collaborated with Facebook and Damu Sasa Systems who have used their platforms to mobilize blood donors for the next two days,” said the CAS.
