After Egypt, Facebook Blood Donations feature launches in Tunisia

The feature on the social media platform allows people to be notified about donation opportunities from nearby blood banks

The Facebook Blood Donations feature has recently launched in Tunisia. It will notify users of nearby blood banks that need donations. Courtesy Facebook

Facebook recently announced that more than 100 million people around the world have signed up for its Blood Donations feature.

The feature, which first launched in India in 2017, allows  people on the platform to be notified about opportunities to donate blood at nearby blood banks. Over the year, it has spread around the world to countries such as Egypt, the Philippines, Brazil, the UK (excluding Scotland), the US and more.

The social media company revealed on Tuesday that the campaign has now come to Tunisia, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Centre National De Transfusion Sanguine (CNTS) to encourage people to donate blood.

As part of the initiative, CNTS is calling on people to sign up to receive notifications about blood donation opportunities to help them collect the right mix of blood types that patients need urgently.

Starting on Tuesday, all Facebook users in Tunisia between the ages of 18 to 65 will be able to sign up on the platform in order to receive notifications of nearby donation opportunities.

The feature is not yet available in Gulf countries.

So how does it work?

When approved blood donation centres need donors, they can make Facebook posts that include a button allowing people to contact them directly from the post.

“Our platform aims to help standardise the blood donation process and encourage people to donate. We are very proud of the support it can provide to blood banks and see this partnership of crucial significance, at a very essential time,” says Khaled Koubaa, Facebook public policy manager in North Africa.

“As we raise awareness about important subjects such as Covid-19, we hope that this initiative will help the ones in need, and foremost help blood banks gather the necessary stock of blood bags.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/donateblood