Egyptian Minister of Health, Dr. Hala Zayed, has announced that the ministry’s National Blood Transfusion Service is teaming up with Facebook to launch a campaign to encourage individuals to donate blood.
- MoH: Campaign will encourage people who recovered from coronavirus to donate plasma
- MoH: Donors to be notified directly when there is a need for blood
- Facebook’s public policy manager: ‘We are proud of the partnership with Egypt’s health ministry”
- The campaign will provide all information and guidelines for blood donors’ in Cairo, Egypt
The campaign, the first of its kind in the Middle East, aims to motivate anyone who has recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma to patients in critical condition, following evidence that plasma therapy can have a positive impact on disease outcome, Zayed said.
Dr. Khaled Megahed, Ministry of Health Spokesman, said: “Facebook users over the age of 18 can sign up to be blood donors and they will be notified when there is a need for blood in their vicinity. They can also invite their Facebook friends to join the campaign.”
People aged 18 to 65 can go to facebook.com/blooddonations to learn more and find nearby donation sites via 28 official blood centers, including five dedicated to coronavirus plasma donations, said Megahed.
He underscored the importance of donating blood during this critical time, asserting that all precautionary measures have been implemented to ensure donors’ safety. “This partnership is a crucial step towards achieving overarching blood donation milestones and ensuring that reserves are available to sustain a robust healthcare system,” Megahed added.
Nashwa Gad, Public Policy Manager, Facebook Egypt, expressed her pride in cooperating with the Egyptian Ministry of Health once more, highlighting the importance of the partnership in the context of Facebook’s efforts to support health agencies amid the ongoing crisis.
Gad praised the previous collaboration between the ministry and Facebook which sought to raise awareness of the novel coronavirus and noted that the new campaign would help donors access accurate information and familiarize themselves with existing guidelines on the donation of blood and plasma.
