"Life is in the Blood" 3rd International Blood Donation Marathon Report
The Goal: Voluntary, Regular Blood Donors
May 31, 2014
Cayey, Puerto Rico
In 47 days, through a campaign which included 329 blood drives in more than 150 cities across Latin America, the United States and Europe, the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace once again called on activists and volunteers, seeking to promote a culture of voluntary and regular blood donation as the foundation of all national blood systems.
With the slogan "Life is in the Blood: Donating the Sap of Life", volunteers began the 3rd International Blood Donation Marathon on April 1st in more than 20 countries. They had the goal to raise awareness and promote a culture of blood donation among individuals so that this act is not seen as insignificant or uncommon, but rather as an ever-present need that goes beyond emergency situations, natural disasters, or financial advantages.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that donations are still made by less than 1% of the population, which is the minimum amount of blood required to meet a nation’s most basic needs.
This is why the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace has developed promotional and educational strategies in partnership with blood banks to meet the population’s needs and thus help save lives and give families peace of mind regardless of their geographic location and cultural, economic or social status.
Therefore, with a great sense of community responsibility, volunteers visited private companies, government and non-governmental institutions, as well as schools and universities, raising awareness among youth and encouraging greater participation from this age group.
Word of mouth continued to be the most common and effective way to reach blood donors, positively impacting the community through the successful outcome of the event, and thus the improvement of the community’s well-being.
47,152 BLOOD UNITS was the outcome of the blood drive, adding up to more than 23 million milliliters of blood which over 188,600 people can benefit from.
45% of the donors who carried out this altruistic deed did so for the first time and committed to becoming regular blood donors, a statement supported by their confirmation to donate in future blood donation marathons.
The most common blood type is O+, followed by A+. This tendency was noted among the participating donors, whose donations yielded to 59% and 25% of each, respectively.
The more blood donors there are around the world, the more we will be able to supply the needs of people who require blood transfusions from donors with that specific blood type.
Participating countries: