73.178 units of life were the result of the 4th International Blood Drive

The numbers of the 3^rd marathon of April 2014 were doubled

73.178 units of life were the result of the 4th International Blood Drive

More than 70,000 people around the world during the months of October and November of 2014 had the opportunity to experiment this bond of life by participating on the 4th International Blood Drive Marathon convened by the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace, within their Project ''Life is in the Blood''. 

From the United States to Argentina, passing through the countries of the Caribbean and Spain, the activists of peace participated in this campaign of the Project “Life is in the Blood”, whose objective is to foment the formation of a culture of voluntary and habitual safe blood donation.

Blood is a vital liquid that cannot be fabricated in any lab and it can only be obtained through the donations from people. It’s time to use it, once it’s donated, it is very short and not all donations are effective. Millions of people depend on this liquid because of difficulties in births, a raise on cancerous diseases and surgeries for different reasons (emergencies caused by accidents or medical treatments). According to the WHO, blood reserves hardly cover the existing demand, on the contrary, it is easily exceeded by the demand.

Safe blood donation in a voluntary and habitual way, and without receiving any compensation, is an act of generosity that starts in the hearts of each human being as a preoccupation to help their equals, and as part of the actions to foment the values of love to others and peace.

Carrying out these safe blood drive marathons twice a year, is a tool that the GEAP is implementing as part of the Project “Life is in the Blood”, to promote the formation of a culture of voluntary and habitual safe blood donation on the health system in each country; and it is established in one of the objectives of the GEAP and the creator of these International Marathons, the Global Ambassador and Peace Activist, Dr. William Soto Santiago.

The 4th International Secure Blood Drive Marathon was carried out simultaneously in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Spain, United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Venezuela, countries that have been participating for the past two years in these marathons and that, until 2014, have been carried out in the months of April and October.

This year it was also stressed, because the GEAP introduced the Communicational Educational Program for the formation of a culture of voluntary and habitual safe blood donation, which was carried out in the month of October and had as pilot country Venezuela; and because in Guatemala the GEAP delivered to the Committee on Public Health and Social Assistance of the country, the Law Proposal to foment a culture of voluntary and habitual safe blood donation. Both activities are part of the Project “Life is in the Blood”, designed by the Global Ambassador and Peace Activist, Dr. William Soto Santiago.

The promotion, awareness and decision making process of each citizen until reaching the point of recruiting blood, in order to donate the 450 millimeters of blood needed for each effective unit, involves the effort and compromise of the volunteers and peace activists of the GEAP, who have identified fully with this activity, and that during the days of the safe blood donation marathons, full joy, they invited their neighbors, friends, families and the community in general through flyers, posters, conferences, awareness marathons and cultural events, so that they participate of this big party for life.

The entities on the health area in each country and the medical centers joined this project of the GEAP, along with the governmental and non-governmental, private companies, churches, schools, universities, fire brigade, military schools, shopping centers and community centers that participated, in one way or another, for the same objective, blood warranty for everyone.  

The 4th International Safe Blood Drive Marathon had a total of 73,748 effective blood units, over passing, exceeding by more than 70% the 47,152 effective blood units from the 3rd International Blood Drive Marathon.

Colombia, once again was the country with the highest amount of voluntary donors registering 30,334 effective units and 7,104 stock units. For a total of 37,438 donors during this 4th Marathon. Brazil occupied the second place with 15,697 units, doubling the obtained figures of the previous marathon, thanks to the training journeys that the educational centers have been carrying out; and Venezuela increased by 190 % the figures obtained, taking the third place with 6,612 units of life.

“An initiative like this of peace activists, responds to the necessity of the blood Banks, as the Global Health Organization recommends, that the ideal is that 3 to 5% of the population is blood donor” said Paul Puentes, coordinator of the Blood Center of Sao José from the fields in Brazil.

Marcos David Mendez Arteaga, voluntary donor in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, declared the motives that made him participate:

“It is an incentive to help people, do it with all your heart, to be completely devoted to it."

More than two thousand patients could be immediately benefited with these results that pretend to end with the myths that exist about this theme and to cope with the blood necessities in every country.

The figures of the effective blood units in the participating countries were the following: