Bone marrow donations: half a million people in Italy do it, but more are still needed: awareness week begins

ROMA – For the first time in Italy, the number of active members has exceeded half a million National Registry of Bone Marrow Donors: the milestone was reached thanks to the 21,895 new potential donors recruited in the first eight months of 2024. These are the data provided by Ibmdr registry on the occasion of the tenth World Bone Marrow Donor Daywhich falls on September 21st. Italy also celebrates the anniversary with “Match it now!”, the national awareness week for bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cell donation promoted by the Ministry of Health, the National Transplant Center, the National Blood Center, the IBMDR Registry, the Italian Group for Bone Marrow Transplants-GITMO and the associations ADMO, Adoces and ADisco.

In search of the “genetic twin”. “There are approximately 2,000 people for whom the search for a non-consanguineous donor for a bone marrow transplant is activated every year in Italy – explains the director of the National Transplant Centre Giuseppe Feltrin – and the probability of finding a compatible ‘genetic twin’ for a donation is approximately one in 100,000: this is why it is necessary that the Ibmdr registry contains as high a number of potential donors as possible.”

60% of donors are women. Then there is another piece of data regarding the members, mostly young women: “Almost 60% of potential donors are female – continues Feltrin – even if in more than 6 cases out of 10, for clinical reasons, it is men who actually donate when a compatibility with the patient waiting for the transplant is found. From this perspective, it would be important to achieve a greater balance among the young members who, with a simple gesture, can really make a difference”.

There is an increase in those available for donation. “In 2024, new registered donors will grow by 14% compared to 2023,” says Nicoletta Sacchi, director of the IBMDR Registry, “but that’s not enough: the goal is to reach at least 30,000 new registrations by the end of the year, to compensate for the 15,000 donors who will leave the registry for age reasons.” This is because marrow donation is only possible up to the age of 55: once that age is reached, voluntary donors are “retired,” and that’s why it’s necessary to recruit new, younger members every year (between 18 and 35) who, in addition to compensating for those who leave, will increase the number of potential donors and rejuvenate their average age.

The aim is to inform young people. Informing and raising awareness among the very young and young people is precisely the aim of “Match it now!”: in the next few days, girls and boys will have the opportunity to register in the donor registry not only in the donor centers at the transfusion services of Italian hospitals, but also in many Italian squares, thanks to the commitment of the associations Admo, Adoces and Adisco. The healthcare personnel of the donation network and thousands of volunteers will be available for registrations and to explain how the donation is actually carried out and what the requirements are: to become a donor, it is sufficient to be between 18 and 35 years old, enjoy good general health and weigh more than 50 kilos.

The official testimonials of the Campaign. To amplify the communication campaign this year there will also be the guys from Casa Surace as official testimonials of the event, the collective of digital creators followed on the web by over 5 million people. With lightness they will tell the simplicity and beauty of bone marrow donation, a choice that makes us all part of a large “extended family”, just like in the style of Casa Surace.

Here’s how to register. They will be joined by other content creators and influencers who will spread the hashtag on Instagram and Tik Tok #nonceDUEsenzaTeto remind the kids that there is no way to help those who need a transplant if there is no available donor. It will also be possible to pre-register on the web: just go to the website of “Choose to donate” and fill out a form to be contacted.