LIFESTYLE NEWS - South Africa's stem cell donor registry remains critically small, with experts urging more people to register during Bone Marrow Stem Cell Donation and Leukaemia Awareness Month, which runs from 15 August to 15 October.
Despite a population of more than 60 million, only about 200,000 South Africans are registered as potential stem cell donors – roughly one donor for every 300 people.
For patients diagnosed with blood cancers and serious blood disorders, those numbers can make the difference between life and death.
Most patients rely on unrelated donors
Only about 30% of patients needing a stem cell transplant find a suitable donor within their own family.
The remaining 70% depend on finding a matching stranger through donor registries.
Because tissue types are inherited, finding a compatible donor is often challenging, making every new registration important.
Why many people never register
According to DKMS Africa, one of the biggest obstacles is the belief that someone else has already signed up.
Social psychologists describe this as the "diffusion of responsibility" – a tendency for people to assume others will take action instead.
Research has shown that individuals are far less likely to act when they believe others are equally able to help, even when the need remains unchanged.
For stem cell patients, however, that assumption can have serious consequences.
The shortage of registered donors does not affect all communities equally.
Representation matters
The shortage of registered donors doesn't affect all communities equally.
Because donor matching depends on inherited tissue characteristics, patients are more likely to find a compatible donor from someone with a similar genetic background.
When certain communities are underrepresented on donor registries, patients from those groups often face much lower chances of finding a life-saving match.
"I meet the patients on the other side of this," says Palesa Mokomele, Head of Community Engagement and Communications at DKMS Africa.
"They are waiting for one person to come forward, and too often that person talked themselves out of registering because they were sure someone else already had."
Registering is quick and free
Joining the donor registry takes only a few minutes.
Prospective donors receive a swab kit by post, complete it at home and return it by mail.
No blood test or medical appointment is required during registration.
People are only contacted if they are identified as a potential match for a patient, and they remain free to decide whether to proceed with the donation.
What happens if you're a match?
Many people avoid registering because they believe donating stem cells involves major surgery.
In reality, DKMS Africa says around 80% of donations involve collecting stem cells from the bloodstream in an outpatient procedure similar to donating plasma or platelets.
No surgery or overnight hospital stay is required.
In the remaining cases, stem cells are collected from the pelvic bone while the donor is under general anaesthetic.
The donor's body naturally replaces the donated stem cells within a few weeks.
Every registration could save a life
DKMS Africa says South Africa's donor registry will only grow if more individuals decide to register rather than assuming someone else will.
"The country's registry will only grow to the size its patients need if individuals stop waiting for one another to act," Mokomele says.
People interested in joining the stem cell donor registry can register online through DKMS Africa.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
