The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) has expressed concern over its ageing database of stem cell donors, which could pose a serious challenge for future patients in need of life-saving transplants.
The Registry reports that nearly half of active stem cell donors (46.3%) are currently over the age of 46, while only 4.2% fall within the critical 16-25 age category.
The Deputy Director for the SABMR, Jane Ward, explains that transplant centres prefer younger donors as younger stem cells generally lead to better transplant outcomes for patients.
“Stem cells, just like other organs age over time. If we do not significantly increase recruitment among younger South Africans now, we risk creating a future shortage of suitable donors when patients need them the most.”
Ward warns that this challenge of an ageing donor database can have far-reaching consequences beyond South Africa’s borders.
Over the next decade, thousands of donors are expected to age out of the system, potentially leaving a critical gap in donor availability for patients battling blood cancers and other life-threatening blood disorders.
While the registry currently has more than 78 000 active donors, there is therefore an urgent need for younger recruits to replenish the database and prevent stagnation in the years ahead.
“To address the issue, we are implementing a long-term strategy focused on dramatically increasing recruitment among South African youth. We also aim to diversify the registry database as it currently does not reflect the demographic make-up of the country’s population. We’ve set a target to recruit a minimum of 4000 eligible new donors annually over the next five to ten years, with more resources we’d be able to exceed this.”
Donor Recruitment supervisor Gaelan Naidoo says a big emphasis is being placed on recruiting quality donors and not just quantity.
“Recruitment trends indicate that only 59% of donors who register end up being eligible, meaning they do not have any medical conditions that may exclude them from being able to donate in the future. We also need to ensure that donors are committed, contactable and traceable should we need to get hold of them.”
He says teams are actively ramping up sign-up efforts at high schools and university campuses across the country.
Donor recruitment is, however, a huge expense for the organisation. It can cost up to R850 for a swab kit and testing to recruit a single donor.
“While signing up as a donor is completely free, the SABMR covers the cost of the kit and testing. We would like to appeal to corporates and the public for financial support to help us reach our goal. As an NPO the SABMR is not funded by government and relies on fundraising, corporates and the public for donations.”
In addition, the SABMR is now moving away from purely educational messaging towards regular storytelling and digital-first engagement aimed at younger audiences on its platforms.
“The age group we are targeting are digitally led and are very active on social media. By sharing stories of hope and testimonials from donors, we aim to personalise the reality that many patients only have a 1 in 100 000 chance of finding a matching donor. Behind every statistic is a real person awaiting a second chance at life. We need a new generation of donors to step forward not someday, but now.”
The Registry is calling on young people, specifically between the ages of 16 and 35, who are relatively healthy, to consider signing up as a donor this Youth Month.
For more information and to sign up, visit SABMR.co.za
Financial donations can also be made via the website.
