Facebook will notify users if blood donations are needed in their area
Feature was successfully tested in India
Facebook is making it easier for blood banks to find donors.
The social media giant announced on Wednesday that it's bringing a blood donation feature to the US after successful tests in India, Bangladesh and other countries.
Now, users in Chicago, New York City, Baltimore, San Francisco and Washington, DC can be notified if blood donations are needed in their area.
The feature will ultimately roll out nationwide in the 'coming months,' according to Facebook.
Users won't receive the notifications automatically; instead, they'll have to opt in.
To sign up for alerts, users should visit Facebook's blood donation page and click 'Sign up.'
Users can also change their settings by opening the ' About' section of their Facebook profile.
Once they complete the sign up process, users will get notifications telling them when a nearby blood donation center is in need of donors.
By launching the tool, Facebook said it also hopes to raise awareness about the dire need for blood donations in the US.
' Every two seconds, someone in the US needs blood, and one donation can potentially save three lives,' Facebook wrote in a blog post.
' However, blood banks in the US are seeing a decline in blood donors.'
Facebook is partnering with organizations including America's Blood Centers, the American Re d Cross, New York Blood Center, Rock River Valley Blood Center, Stanford B l o o d C e n t e r, Versiti and Vitalant.
' Through our partnership with
Facebook, individuals will be able to conveniently find and connect with their local blood center to help meet the ongoing need for a diverse pool of blood donors in the US and share their experiences and the importance of blood donation,' Kate Fry, chief executive at America's Blood Centers, said in a statement.
' By encouraging blood donation as a way of life, each of us can assure that the more than 30,000 pints of blood used daily throughout the country is available.'
Facebook is bringing the feature to the US after it said it found success in India, Bangladesh, Brazil and Pakistan, where it was launched in 2017.
In India and Brazil, blood donation centers said that 20 percent of people told them Facebook influenced their decision to donate.