National, December 20, 2024: DKMS just published its first Global Impact Report that outlines the organization’s impressive progress in 2023 and focuses on the people whose lives have been saved through the work of DKMS. With a mix of numbers, stories and innovations, DKMS demonstrates its global mission to improve the chances of survival for blood cancer patients.
- In 2023, DKMS significantly expanded its global reach and impact: In that year, DKMS had more than 12 million potential donors in its diverse donor pool, spanning seven countries across five continents.
- In 2023, more than 8,300 people in 60 countries received a second chance at life thanks to a stem cell donation from a DKMS donor.
- In addition, 409 individuals in medically disadvantaged regions, such as India or South Africa, were able to access a stem cell donation in 2023 as part of the organization’s international aid programs.
- The inauguration of three new collection centers in Germany and Chile in 2023 has enabled DKMS to support the entire process, from registration to stem cell donation, with the highest level of quality.
- A decisive breakthrough is the introduction of the DKMS Stem Cell Bank in Germany: It is the first facility in the world to provide stem cells that are cryopreserved and stored as Adult Donor Cryopreserved Units (ADCUs) beyond the initial donation. Because these are available within 72 hours, patients’ chances of survival increase significantly. This innovation means that two lives can be saved with one stem cell donation.
Three pillars for a second chance at life
Every 27 seconds, someone in the world is diagnosed with blood cancer. For many of them, a stem cell transplant is the only chance of survival. However, the possibilities of finding a genetically matching donor or financing the treatment vary greatly around the world. The DKMS Global Impact Report describes how the DKMS group takes a holistic approach to consider the individual living conditions of patients. This approach is based on three pillars: (1) Boost Stem Cell Donations – primarily by further expanding a large and diverse donor pool; (2) Improve Access to Transplantation – especially in disadvantaged regions; (3) Advance Research & Development in the field of cell therapies.
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Across national borders
“What started as a private initiative in Germany in 1991 has grown into one of the world’s leading medical and scientific organizations for blood cancer patients,” emphasizes Dr. Elke Neujahr, Global Chief Executive Officer of the DKMS Group. Today, DKMS has its own stem cell donor centers in Chile, Germany, India, Poland, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa. The DKMS Global Impact Report 2023 highlights international successes and provides insights into the personal stories of donors and patients. It further presents current scientific advances, such as those achieved by the organization’s Clinical Trials Unit. Together with the DKMS Life Science Lab, this unit also coordinates the Collaborative Biobank, a joint scientific platform that provides resources for medical research projects worldwide. The DKMS Life Science Lab in Dresden, the most powerful HLA typing laboratory in the world, plays a key role in this. All DKMS donors from seven countries are typed there – that’s up to 7,000 analyses per day.
“We have made tremendous progress in recent years, and 2023 was a record year. We have grown enormously and expanded our impact for patients worldwide,” says Elke Neujahr. Commenting on DKMS’s plan to provide 12,000 people annually with a second chance at life through stem cell donations by 2030, she adds: “I am confident that with our skilled team and all our supporters, we will achieve our ambitious goals.”
About DKMS BMST Foundation India
DKMS BMST Foundation India is a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and other blood disorders, such as thalassemia and aplastic anemia. They aim to improve the situation of patients suffering from blood cancer and other blood disorders in India and throughout the world by raising awareness about blood stem cell transplantation and registering potential blood stem cell donors. DKMS-BMST is a joint venture of two reputed non-profit organizations: BMST (Bangalore Medical Services Trust) and DKMS, one of the world’s largest international blood stem cell donor centres.
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