The Ukrainian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (UBMDR) has announced the launch of the “BAN BLOOD CANCER” campaign, dedicated to raising awareness about blood cancer and increasing the number of potential donors. September is traditionally celebrated around the world as Blood Cancer and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Every year, thousands of Ukrainians are diagnosed with blood cancer, and for many, a bone marrow transplant is their only chance of recovery. However, only a quarter of patients find a compatible donor among their relatives, while the other 75% search for one in the database of unrelated donors. Today, there are over 17,700 people in the registry, but at least one million are needed for a quick compatibility search.
As part of the campaign, UBMDR plans to recruit at least 400 new donors and raise funds for DNA testing, which is necessary to add potential saviours to the database. The cost of one analysis is about 1,700 UAH and is performed in a German laboratory. Every month, about 400 people submit applications for registration, for which 680,000 UAH is needed for compatibility testing.
The Ukrainian bone marrow donor registry has been operating since 2018 in accordance with international standards and is part of a global network of registries. Thanks to this, patients can receive haematopoietic stem cells from both Ukrainian and foreign donors.
Read also: When life depends on the donor: how to recognise blood cancer and why bone marrow transplantation is not an exception, but a chance
