This achievement increases likelihood of patients finding matching donors they need to receive second chance at life
DKMS, this month, celebrated a truly meaningful milestone: the organisation has 10 million registered potential blood stem cell donors worldwide. With the help of tens of thousands of volunteers and supporters from across the globe, DKMS’s record achievement increases the likelihood of patients finding the matching donors they need to receive a second chance at life.
“This is a fantastic achievement by DKMS that is only possible because of the dedication and passion of their employees and supporters from around the world,” says Lydia Foeken, CEO, World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA). “We now have 36 million donors worldwide and DKMS is an important part of our global community.”
“DKMS is proud to be the world’s leading donor centre, accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the total donor pool. While, this is a global milestone but when it comes to India, the fact is Indians are highly underrepresented. In India, every year over one lakh people are diagnosed with blood cancer or other blood disorders and despite this huge burden, only 0.03 per cent of the total population is registered as potential blood stem cell donor. While blood cancer is life-threatening, a set of healthy blood stem cells from a matching donor can be life-saving. The demand and supply gap are increasing as people don’t register themselves as potential blood stem cell donors due to the lack of awareness,” says Patrick Paul, CEO, DKMS BMST Foundation India.
“10 million registered donors are truly a wonderful accomplishment, but for me, and I know for all of the DKMS family, this is not about just numbers and it never will be,” explains Elke Neujahr, Global CEO, DKMS. “It is about our donors. It is about our patients. It is about everyone that is affected by these devastating diseases. This is why we also realise that, though we celebrate this milestone, we still have so much more to do.”
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