According to the World Marrow Donor Association, 50% of registered donors were removed from the database globally in 2023 due to being untraceable. In SA, an 11% non-contact rate has been noted, despite the odds of finding a match being a low one-in-one-hundred-thousand. Deputy Director for the Registry, Jane Ward says plans are afoot to reach more potential donors.

“What we want to implement, which we haven’t done previously, is to ask if a donor has joined, particularly at a donor drive, is to send a survey to them or a re-commitment. The question would be asked, “Would you want to, if we called you up, would you donate? And if they say yes, brilliant. If they say no, then we might remove them from the registry because then we know they’re not as committed,” she said.

–SABC–