Urgent call for Black Canadian stem cell donors to close gap in registry
Posted February 15, 2021 12:21 pm.
Last Updated February 15, 2021 8:02 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – There’s an urgent need for stem cell donors among Black Canadians, with experts saying the significant disparity could cost lives.
Patients are more likely to find a stem cell match from donors of similar racial backgrounds because specific genetic markers are needed for a match.
But with a massive racial disparity in Canada’s stem cell registry, Black patients who need life-saving transplants are less likely to find matched donors.
Sylvia Okonofua, president of the Stem Cell Club at the University of Regina, says less than three per cent of Black Canadians are registered in Canada’s stem cell donor registry.
“For Black patients who are in need of a life-saving stem cell transplant, it’s practically impossible for them to find their match because of the low number of Black Canadians on the stem cell registry,” she tells NEWS 1130.
Okonofua says Black patients who need a donor often wait years for a match, and they are less than half as likely as white patients to find a match.
“This makes it difficult for patients of African or Caribbean ancestry. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack for them,” she says.
About 16 to 19 per cent of Black patients are likely to find a match to an unrelated donor, while the rate climbs to 75 per cent for white patients.
Okonofua says she’s trying to close the gap by signing up more Black donors. The most urgent need is for Black people between the ages of 17 to 35.
Stem cell transplants can treat over 80 diseases, including blood cancers.
To become a stem cell donor, visit the Canadian Blood Services website.
