FEBRAF, Brazil Why donate blood? A Vampire Cup article by Sabrina A. Lins - from FEBRAF, Brazil
Currently, according to the Ministry of Health in Brazil, only 1.8% of the Brazilian population donates blood on a regular basis, and this scenario is below what was recommended by the World Health Organization - WHO. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, blood collections have decreased drastically. One of such reasons was because a lot of people were afraid of leaving their homes and increasing their chances of being infected with SARS-CoV-2. This made them unwilling to donate blood despite the dire need of the product (blood). We, from FEBRAF, faced the biggest challenge, which was to make interesting posts so that people would be encouraged to donate blood. Since the second semester of 2020, we have been posting some informative contents on our social media handles to encourage people to donate more blood, through the Brazilian participation in the international blood donation competition called the Vampire Cup. Our association made posts with the following topics: “Why should I donate blood?”, “Who is eligible to donate blood” and “What are the contexts in which blood donation can help”. We did a FAQ, discussed myths and truths about blood donation, mentioned precautions on pre-donation and post-donation, explained all the blood types and blood type compatibility. We even searched and presented some data about the supply of each blood type in blood banks in Brazil (by region) and how blood is treated from the moment it is collected until the person in need receives it. There was also a more specific post for the pharmacy area, mentioning medicines that affect blood coagulation and why they affect it. Thereafter, between November and December of 2020, from the University of São Paulo (located in the southeastern region of Brazil), where our goal was to carry out an online campaign to raise awareness about blood donation, and furthermore, to encourage people to donate in the name of the Vampire Cup, we have established partnerships with eight different Pharmacy student associations. This was a great opportunity to reach more people, as the other entities have their own social media and different publics. In this campaign, we asked people to take a picture holding a poster with the hashtags: #VampireCup #FEBRAF #IPSF #FarmaNaVeia (Farma na Veia means “Pharma in the Vein”) and we had around 30 donations declared on behalf of the Vampire Cup, and also got 19 pictures from the donors. The experience was incredible! The people were very enthusiastic in sharing posts and moreover they called their friends and relatives to donate in the name of
the Vampire Cup. From this experience, we learned that with the establishment of partnerships, it's easier to have a raise in blood donations. The attitude of these people was very important to save many lives! A single donation can save up to four lives. A simple gesture of love and solidarity can generate many smiles. Have you ever thought about the importance of donating your blood? Do you know the myths and truths involved in blood donation? If possible, donate blood! Remember: the life of those who need it cannot wait. Look for the nearest blood center and schedule your appointment for donation.
Figure 1: Post: “Truths about blood donation”
Figure 2: Pictures of some of the donors
Figure 3: Pictures of some of the donors (cont’d…)
Figure 4: Pictures of some of the donors (cont’d…)
Figure 5: Post: “Why donate blood?” - from the “Farma na Veia” campaign
Figure 6: Post: “Why donate blood?” - From the “Farma na Veia” campaign