Donate Life – MedSCO-Oman

Name of the activity: Donate Life

Country/NMO: MedSCO-Oman

Program: Health Systems

Contact information: contact [email protected] to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: First-time Activity

Category: Education

Focus area: Organ, stem-cell and tissue donation

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being)

General description:

This campaign will be tackling three topics: Organ donation, bone marrow donation, and blood donation. It will be made of an online and an in-person part. The online part of the campaign will include educational sessions and posts shared through our social media platforms, while the in-person part will include blood drives held at all participating NMOs at the same week.

Problem statement:

Organ donation: In addition to tackling the issue of the scarcity of organ donors due to various social issues, we are also going to tackle the issue of organ trafficking in the region.

Bone marrow donation: Only 30% of patients who need a bone marrow transplant have a matching donor in their families. The rest have to get it from strangers.

Blood donation: Most low and middle-income countries in the EMR struggle to make enough blood available while also ensuring its quality and safety. 

Target groups:

• General population
• Medical students

Beneficiaries:

• General population
• Medical students

Objectives:

1. To raise awareness among EMR SCOPHeroes about organ, bone marrow, and tissue donation by the end of the campaign.
2. To build the capacity of medical students in the EMR around organ, bone marrow, and tissue donation.
3. To highlight, support and encourage youth actions and NMO initiatives in terms of blood drives by the end of the campaign.
4. To highlight the issues of the campaign through an inter-standing committee approach by the end of the campaign.

Indicators:

1. At least 5 posts were shared among the SCOPH EMR FB group, with a total outreach of at least 200 members
2. i. At least 2 capacity building sessions were held 
3. At least 20 medical students in total in the EMR attended the sessions 
4. At least one video/ post containing all participating NMOs drives is shared in the SCOPH EMR FB group.
5. At least one session on the intersectoral approach of organ donation with a representative from at least one other SC was held with at least 20 participants.

Methodology:

Before the campaign:

– Recruit interested NPOs from the region to help in the preparations

– Initiation of collaboration with a standing committee for at least one session

– Develop the content of the campaign and design the social media materials

– Prepare the CB sessions

– Assist NPOs of all participating NMOs in the preparation of their blood drives which will be a part of the EMR Blood March

During the campaign:

– Release of a series of social media posts about Organ, tissue, and blood donation through Facebook

– Promoting the CB sessions and opening the registrations

– Conducting a series of CB sessions on Organ, tissue, and blood donation

– Launching and promoting the First EMR Blood March

After the campaign:

– Evaluation of the campaign

– Production of the campaign report

The platforms to be used are the SCOPH regional Facebook group, and the participating NMOs social media accounts.

Plans for evaluation:

– Pre and post evaluation forms will be sent to the participants before and after the capacity building sessions, respectively. This will allow us to properly assess the knowledge increase of medical students in the EMR around Organ, bone marrow, and blood donation.

– Total outreach of the posts

– Unofficial feedback by members who attended the campaign

– Feedback by the informal working group

External collaborations:

none