Namibians can now donate bone marrow

The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) hopes to collaborate with the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) to encourage Namibians to become bone marrow donors. Bone marrow donations, and the stem cells that can be extracted from them, can be used to treat various blood disorders such as blood cancers and sickle cell anaemia, as well as a variety of immune-related diseases.Namibians who wish to become bone marrow donors can submit their applications through CAN. "After the application form is completed, a sample will be taken from the cheek, similar to a DNA test," says CAN&#039;s CEO, Rolf Hansen.Assistance provided A donor will then be added to the bone marrow registry until a patient requiring a bone marrow donation with a similar DNA profile to that of the donor is found. "It won&#039;t always be the case that a Namibian donates bone marrow to another Namibian. These donations can be used worldwide – it could be that your donation helps someone in Mauritius or Bangkok. The bone marrow situation is so unique," says Hansen.If a donor&#039;s bone marrow needs to be harvested, the donor will be required to fly to Cape Town and stay there for a period of three to five days, All expenses will be covered by the SABMR."According to the law, medical leave is allowed in such a case, but where the employer is a bit difficult, we can try to arrange for the donor to fly to Cape Town on a Friday afternoon, perform the donation over the weekend, and then return to work on Tuesday. Of course, this may not always be possible, but we have arranged for the possibility for Namibians to do it this way," says Hansen.Up to you Hansen states that the donation process is similar to a lumbar puncture, and the decision to donate bone marrow remains with the donor until the last moment."Things can change," says Hansen. "If something happens that causes a donor to change their plans or if they would like to learn more, it remains their decision until the last moment when they sign for the donation to proceed," he says.The only requirements to apply as a bone marrow donor are that the donor is between the ages of 16 and 45 years old and does not suffer from any &#039;dreaded diseases&#039;.A dreaded disease is a term commonly used in insurance contexts to refer to a specific list of severe or life-threatening illnesses or conditions

Namibians can now donate bone marrow

Comments

Namibian Sun 2026-10-16

Please login to leave a comment

Namibians can now donate bone marrow

Comments

Namibian Sun 2026-10-16

Please login to leave a comment

Subscription Required to Access Content ×

Login

Subscription Required to Access Content