Organization: Global Blood Fund
Mission: GLOBAL BLOOD FUND WORKS WITH LOW HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI) COUNTRIES TO ENSURE A SAFE & SUFFICIENT BLOOD SUPPLY FOR ALL BY PROMOTING VOLUNTARY, NON-REMUNERATED BLOOD DONATION.
Activities: DIVERSIFYING THE U.S. BLOOD RECRUITING THESE FUNDS WERE PROVIDED BY THE COMMONWEALTH TRANSFUSION FOUNDATION FOR THE PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, CATHERINE ARMITAGE, THRU 7/31/2020. THIS PROGRAM IS FOCUSED TO SUPPORT THE U.S. INTERINSTITUTIONAL PROJECT TO DESIGN, PROMOTE, AND LEVERAGE SUPPLEMENTAL ALTRUISM OPPORTUNITIES AS A MOTIVATOR FOR DONORS AND FOCUS ON IMPROVING DEVELOPING WORLD TRANSFUSION CARE WITH THE APPEAL ESPECIALLY INTENDED FOR DONORS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS. THIS PROGRAM ALSO RAISED AWARENESS OF THE "WORLD TRANSFUSION CRISIS" WHERE STORIES OF BLOODMOBILE DONATIONS BY U.S. CENTERS WERE SENT TO MEXICIAN BLOOD AGENCIES AND CONTENT CONNECTED TO "WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY" CONSUMED MULTI-STATE MEDIA COVERAGE. ANOTHER EMERGING SUCCESS WAS THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE "FUEL THE DUEL" TRADEMARKED SOFTWARE THAT WAS DESIGNED TO FACILITATE COLLABORATION AND COMPETITION BETWEEN INDEPENDEDNT BLOOD DRIVE SPONSORSHIP GROUPS. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS WHEN A SEMINARY COLLEGE IN UGANDA HOSTED A BLOOD DRIVE AGAINST A LOCAL OKLAHOMA CHURCH WHICH PROVOKED A COMPETITION BETWEEN THE TWO DRIVES. THE PROJECT HASN'T REACHED ITS FULL POTENTIAL YET DUE TO UNEXPECTEDLY HIGH BARRIERS OF ADOPTION AMONG CERTAIN INDEPENDENT BLOOD CENTERS ACROSS THE U.S. DUE TO LIMITED ECONOMIC AND HUMAN RESOURCES, DIFFICULTY CONDUCTING JOINT MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND OTHER SUCH OBSTACLES NEEDED IN CONTINUING THE MOMENTUM OF THE PROGRAM.
NON-EQUIPMENT BASED SUPPORT NON-EQUIPMENT BASED SUPPORT FORMED A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT OF GBFS OVERALL PACKAGE OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITY. FOR EXAMPLE, GBF WORKED WITH FIRST LADIES ACROSS AFRICA (THROUGH THEIR ORGANIZATION "OAFLAD" - ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN FIRST LADIES FOR DEVELOPMENT) TO PROMOTE BLOOD DONATION AS IT RELATES TO WOMEN, ESPECIALLY MOTHERS IN CHILDBIRTH. THIS INCLUDED A BROADCASTED PRESENTATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK, WHICH ENCOURAGED BLOOD DONATIONS TO CITIZEN IN ZIMBABWE AND ELSEWHERE. FURTHER EXAMPLES: GBF PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL TRAINING EVENTS FOR BLOOD SERVICE STAFF IN KENYA, A PARTICULARLY UNDERPERFORMING COUNTRY ON THAT CONTINENT. GBF ALSO INITIATED AND SUPPORTED A MAJOR MULTI-FAITH BLOOD DRIVE IN KWALE COUNTY IN KENYA (AS PART OF WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY EVENTS) TO EVIDENCE THE POTENTIAL OF FAITH ORGANIZATIONS HELPING TO MEET NATIONAL BLOOD REQUIREMENTS. A STUDY OF PRE-DONATION ABO RH TYPING AS A RECRUITMENT STRATEGY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICE IN GHANA WAS PLANNED AND FUNDED (INCLUDING THE DONATION OF A LARGE NUMBER OF TEST KITS IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT BY THE VENDOR, DIAGAST) BUT ACTIVITY DID NOT COMMENCE DURING 2019 AS HAD BEEN EXPECTED. PROGRESSION IS SLATED FOR 2020.
RE-HOMING OF DISPLACED EQUIPMENT RE-HOMING OF DISPLACED EQUIPMENT RETAINED ITS STATUS AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PROGRAMS. GBF OWNS AND MANAGES EXCHANGE, A CLOUD-BASED PLATFORM ENABLING BLOOD SERVICES WORLDWIDE TO LIST (USUALLY SURPLUS) EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE FOR DONATION. THIS TYPICALLY BECOMES AVAILABLE WHERE ITEMS ARE DISPLACED AS A CONSEQUENCE OF ROUTINE UPGRADE PROGRAMS, LEAVING STILL-SERVICEABLE EQUIPMENT SURPLUS TO LOCAL REQUIREMENTS. AS WELL AS VIEWING AND RESPONDING TO OFFERS, THE SYSTEM OFFERS BLOOD SERVICES IN LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES THE ABILITY TO LIST AND CIRCULATE THEIR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS WORLDWIDE. ONCE A MATCH IS MADE BETWEEN DONOR AND RECIPIENT, GBF MANAGES AND RESOURCES THE LOGISTICS OF RE-HOMING. DONATIONS MOSTLY COME FROM THE U.S. AND EUROPE. RECIPIENTS ARE TYPICALLY BLOOD SERVICES IN AFRICA, LATIN AMERICA, AND ASIA. EXAMPLES OF 2019 ACTIVITY ARE A CONTAINER OF ASSORTED EQUIPMENT DONATED BY THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICE AND SENT TO TANZANIA AND THOUSANDS OF NEW T-SHIRTS - BECOMING AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF A REBRAND BY A MAJOR BLOOD SYSTEM - THAT WERE SHIPPED TO GHANA. OPTIPRESS MACHINES GIVEN BY ENGLANDS NHS BLOOD AND TRANSPLANT WERE DISTRIBUTED TO A NUMBER OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES, AS WERE A SIGNIFICANT QUANTITY OF BLOOD SHAKERS. SEVERAL BLOOD MOBILES WERE DONATED DURING 2019, BUT AT YEAR-END WERE AT THE MEXICAN BORDER AWAITING COMPLETION OF EXPORT/IMPORT PAPERWORK. A PLEDGE OF 800 HEMOGLOBINOMETERS (C.$800,000 VALUE) WAS RECEIVED AND IS LIKELY TO FORM THE BASIS OF A QUALITATIVE VS QUANTITATIVE HB MEASUREMENT STUDY IN TANZANIA, A MAJOR INITIATIVE PLANNED FOR 2020.
NTEE category: International, Foreign Affairs & National Security
Secondary category: Voluntary Health Associations & Medical Disciplines