DKMS Africa warns donor drop-off delays blood cancer patients
DKMS Africa, whose registry holds more than 210,000 registered donors, says donors who cannot be reached or withdraw after a match is found slow transplant searches. Palesa Mokomele, its head of community engagement, said patients with rare tissue types may wait longer.
Mokomele cited international figures. At DKMS Germany, 23% of potential donors dropped out when contacted to confirm a match. The South African registry had 19,000 registered donors in 2021.
The research company GfK surveyed more than 3,000 registered South African donors for DKMS Africa. Of those surveyed, 98% said they would likely donate if contacted about a match. About 4% had updated their contact details before, and 10% did not know they needed to keep them current.
Among donors who were unsure or declined, 49% said they did not know enough about the donation process. Another 32% said they feared the pain involved. Among the donors surveyed, 36% preferred quarterly updates.
Mokomele said patients with fully matched donors had a two-year survival rate of 59%. For patients who received mismatched transplants, the rate was 38%. She said longer waits could let the disease progress or return, or leave a patient too ill for a transplant. She said registering is only the first step, and donors must stay committed over time.
Key facts
- Who
- Palesa Mokomele (head of DKMS Africa community engagement and communication); DKMS Africa (manager of a registry of potential stem cell donors); GfK (research company that conducted a survey for DKMS Africa)
- What
- DKMS Africa, which manages a registry of potential stem cell donors with more than 210,000 registered donors, says donors who become unreachable or withdraw delay transplant searches for blood cancer patients. Its head of community engagement, Palesa Mokomele, cited international figures and a survey of South African donors.
- When
- 6 November 2026
- Where
- South Africa, Germany
- Status
- Reported