This Monday, March 22, the Biomedicine Agency is launching a new campaign and is looking for 20,000 bone marrow donors aged 18 to 35. A donation that saves the lives of those who suffer from serious diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma or blood diseases
- The objective of the Biomedicine Agency is to emphasize the simplicity with which it is possible to donate bone marrow.
- Each year, about 2,000 people need such a bone marrow transplant in France.
- Bone marrow donation is essential for patients suffering from serious diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma or blood diseases.
Since 1er January, any new person wishing to register as a voluntary donor must be between the ages of 18 and 35, compared to 50 years previously. This Monday, March 22, the Biomedicine Agency is launching a campaign to recruit 20,000 new donors by September 18, 2021, date of World Bone Marrow Donation Day. This digital campaign is based on #20000donors and on an advertising campaign that will be broadcast on social networks at least until April.
A simple donation
This communication follows a lack of donors, especially young men. The lowering of the age limit responds to him, first, to a request from doctors. “When the choice is possible, they opt for donors under 35, because the grafts taken from these young donors are richer in stem cells. They therefore allow faster graft placement for patients. Furthermore, it is essential to diversify the geographical origins of new people who register to improve the chances of finding a donor compatible with the patient. This diversity of profiles is present among 18-35 year olds”, specifies the Biomedicine Agency.
The objective of the Biomedicine Agency is to emphasize the simplicity with which it is possible to donate bone marrow. Generally, this is done through a blood draw which takes between 2 and 3 hours. It is a procedure that is not painful. To register you must be in good health and therefore be between 18 and 35 years old. Since the 2019 campaign, the focus has been on rejuvenating recruitment. In 2019, the donor registry was made up of 53% over the age of 35, but “70% of newly registered donors were already in this age group” of 18-35 year olds, underlines the Biomedicine Agency.
2,000 transplants each year
Bone marrow donation is essential for patients suffering from serious diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma or blood diseases. The bone marrow ensures the production of stem cells from which blood cells originate. It helps produce red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight infection, and platelets, which stop bleeding. Each year, about 2,000 people need such a bone marrow transplant in France.
.
