EOS Costa Rica Utilising BlockChain to Address Global Blood Supply Shortage

Costa Rican technology company, EOS Costa Rica, has utilised its open-source EOS.IO blockchain protocol, to create Lifebank, a user application to help facilitate blood donations.

The coronavirus pandemic has created a global blood shortage. As hospitalisations and death tolls surge, blood supplies are quickly dwindling. In March, the Red Cross cancelled nearly 3,000 blood drives in the US, directly resulting in 86,000 fewer blood donations- an 80% decline. Through June, almost 30,000 cancelled blood drives coupled with a diminishing blood supply, have created a precarious situation for hospitals. In the United States, a majority of the nation’s blood banks only have a one-day supply or less of Type O blood.

EOS Costa Rica co-founder Edgar Fernandez, explained, “The coronavirus pandemic uncovered a number of problem areas in the healthcare supply chain – one of which being blood donations. To help encourage continued donations, Lifebank connects blood donors to donation centers and local businesses, using smart contracts to provide consent between donation centers and blood donors. Those who donate blood using Lifebank will receive tokens to redeem at local businesses.”

The Lifebank app, which has been built using EOS.IO blockchain technology essentially works to streamline the process of screening and documenting viable candidates for blood donation by matching donors to receipients, while also setting up an incentive system for donors.

Lifebank recently won the “Coding for Change” Hackathon, aimed at developing innovations to address the challenges posed by the coronavirus. Lifebank is now in the running to receive a $100,000 investment from UNICEF’s Innovation Fund. The fund offers early seed financing to tech startups which have the potential to aid humanity.

You can try out the Lifebank App here.