When was the last time that you made a blood donation? If the answer is “never”, we tell you here a revealing fact shared by Rosa Bejarano, general coordinator of Por Ti Mi Sangre (For You, My Blood), a social enterprise that is part of the second portfolio of the Entrepreneurial Fund: “Saving the lives of three people can take only 30 minutes of our time” And indeed, as the representative of this organization reports: “With just one donation, we can change the realities of patients who require at least one voluntary donor.”
In the interview given by Rosa Bejarano for the Wiese Foundation, she was asked about the objective of her organization and its future projections. To this, the general coordinator of Por Ti Mi Sangre, responded that the initiative arose with the goal of bringing donation to more Peruvians, motivating voluntary blood donation. The purpose is to decentralize donations and expand the reach of the campaigns to more parts of Peru in order to reduce the number of deaths due to lack of available blood units.
Bejarano stated that, according to the WHO, in order for a country to be self-sustainable in terms of the internal demand for blood units, it is necessary that at least 2% of the population be donors. However, he stressed that it is worrying that, in the last 10 years, Peru has not exceeded 1.28%. Aside from the fact that, of the number of donors, only 13.26% have done so voluntarily, while the rest did so for replenishment.
In this scenario, the work that Por Ti Mi Sangre has been performing has been remarkable:
“In Peru, more than 650,000 units of blood are required each year. To date, at Por Ti Mi Sangre, we have managed to collect more than 20,525 units of blood by carrying out more than 905 donation campaigns, saving the lives of more than 61,575 people and raising awareness among more than 31,886 people in favor of voluntary blood donation in Peru.” – Rosa Bejarano, 2024.
Myths and fears around blood donation: A barrier that we must overcome
Bejarano also addressed the issue of the myths surrounding blood donation, which can be a barrier when it comes to motivating people. Regarding these, the general coordinator of Por Ti Mi Sangre mentioned some of the most common ones:
It is believed that people with tattoos cannot donate blood, which is false. In fact, they can do so if at least one year has elapsed since the last tattoo was made.
“One cannot donate blood more than once a year”. However, Bejarano stated that men can donate up to 4 times a year, with an interval of three months between donations; while women can donate up to three times a year, with an interval of four months between donations.
Some people believe that one cannot donate if one has had hepatitis A, but this is not an impediment. If the disease was contracted in childhood, one can still donate blood.
It is also thought that patients with diabetes cannot donate blood, which is false. If the diabetes is controlled, there is no problem in donating.
Rosa Bejarano also commented that those who donate blood go through a prior process that includes measuring weight and blood pressure, evaluating blood type and hemoglobin level, as well as an interview to assess possible risk factors.
“La Salvatón” (“The Saving Marathon”), the new event being organized by Por Ti Mi
Por Ti Mi Sangre has been organizing different activities to motivate voluntary donation. That is why they are currently preparing “La Salvatón”, an event for World Blood Donor Day that will take place in Lima, in which the goal is to collect more than 1800 units of blood throughout the month of June.
Bejarano extended an invitation to the entire Peruvian population to join this and other campaigns that they have been organizing regularly in order to save the lives of more people together: “If you have not had the opportunity to donate, we invite you to learn more about Por Ti Mi Sangre and join our next hemo-bus route that goes out every week with the hope of continuing to save lives. We are expecting you!” she concluded.
