A solidary and voluntary compromise to save lives is held in Ecuador on World Blood Donor Day
In 2005, during the 58th World Health Assembly, June 14th was considered as the World Blood Donor Day. The purpose of this celebration it is to educate the world about the necessity to provide blood and its derivatives, to maintain the Blood Banks and the national health systems supplied. Within the framework of this commemoration, the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace (GEAP) in Ecuador performed different activities on Friday, June 12, 2015.
In Guayaquil
On the occasion of celebrating the above-mentioned day, the Ecuadorian Red Cross (ERC), organized a recognition event for the people and corporations that in an altruistic way have contributed with the blood collecting campaigns, manifested Grace Játiva, coordinator of the ERC donation. This tribute started late in the afternoon, and it was carried out in the lobby of the Anthropologic and Contemporary Art Museum (ACAM), located in the Malecón 2000 of Guayaquil City. There were present the Junta de Beneficencia de Guayas, the Bolivarian Nursing Institute, Armada del Ecuador, the Guayaquil University, members of the fire department, Grecia Cando – representative of the mayor, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), the President of the Red Cross, Felipe Bazán, authorities and employees of the Guayas Red Cross, among others.
In this event, it was recognized the work of the Global Ambassador, Dr. William Soto, who through the GEAP, develops the International Blood Drive Marathons: “Life is in the Blood”. The commemorative plaque in the shape of a blood drop says:
““Ecuadorian Red Cross – Provincial Board of Guayas, grants this award to: Global Embassy of Activists for Peace, for being socially responsible with the community, providing their ongoing support in our voluntary blood donation campaigns, saving lives”.
This recognition was given to the Peace Activist Betsabé Moreira, representative of this embassy in the Ecuadorian country, by Dr. Francisco Mora, Director of the Blood Bank of Guayas.
Quito
The Ecuadorian Public Health Ministry, organized an event with the slogan: “Donate blood and Save Lives”, which was developed in the Park of Carolina. In this marathon, volunteers of the GEAP along with other organizations and participating individuals of this campaign, made a giant blood drop, with the purpose of remembering that together we can give life. On the other hand, the event counted with the presence of the Ecuadorian Public Health Minister, Carina Vance, the representative of the PAHO/WHO, Gina Tambini, representatives of the Public Health Centers of the Quito Metropolitan District and other related organizations.
According to national data, currently just the 1.45% of the population of the country donates blood; of them, just 60% are voluntary donors. The goal is to reach, at least, 2% of the population of the country to become blood donors and being the 100% of them, voluntary.
Ibarra
In the Plazoleta Francisco Calderón of the city of Ibarra, a concert was carried out in favor of the blood donations. The campaign that was organized by the Ecuadorian Red Cross and the Provincial Board of Imbabura under the slogan: “I am also a hero”, pursues to strengthen the National Blood Center and to provide with units of blood to the people that are in need of a blood transfusion.
The campaign was enlivened by national and local artists, among them, Jonathan Luna, Tierra Canela, Dúo Pasional, Amalia Carvajal, Nataly Ladín, Mateo Godoy, Iván Zaid and Rey Martínez. Andrea Scacco, the Deputy Mayor of the city, Laureano Alencastro, Counselor of Ibarra, 25 donors members of the National Police, members of the Red Cross and around 30 volunteers of the GEAP, assisted to this program.
Thanks to the cooperation of the citizens who attended, 250 effective blood units were collected.
“Donating blood does not affect the health, on the contrary, it improves the quality of life. Your generous donation, helps to maintain the blood inventories filled, safe and timely appropriate to completely suffice the necessities of blood of our country”, pointed Daniel Cisneros, Director of the Blood bank of the ERC-PBI.
Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas
The Global Embassy of Activists for Peace together with the Ecuadorian Red Cross – Provincial Board of Santo Domingo of Tsáchilas (ERC-PBST), commemorated the Voluntary Donor Day with a blood donation marathon within the framework of the 5th International Blood Drive Marathon that the GEAP promotes.
Members of the educative Unite “Espre”, collaborated with the distribution of informative flyers, animating and inviting the citizens to be part of the event as voluntary blood donors.
In the same way, it was attented by the presence of Luis Páez of the ERC-PBST, and Diana Ludeña, secretary of the same institution. The Marathon ended at 18:30p.m. with a positive outcome of 336 effective blood units. Blood donation is a voluntarily and solidarity compromise towards our equals, a responsibility with life, recognized act to upraise the World Voluntary Blood Donor Day.
