The Sunflower Fund blossoms globally
THE Sunflower Fund has officially relaunched its brand in a new partnership with German-founded NGO DKMS international to become DKMS Africa.
The launch will see the fund join hands with the international organisation in a historic global partnership for blood cancer patients.
According to DKMS Africa, the merger is set to make a difference for people living with life-threatening blood disorders, owing to its objectives as a renowned donor recruitment centre and stem cell registry with a mission to build an ethnically diverse registry that is representative of all people of African and mixed ethnic descent.
DKMS global chief executive Elke Neujahr said: “From the first moment we met the South African executive director, Alana James, we knew we were the perfect match.
“With DKMS Africa, we are now present in seven countries on five continents. This means that the organisation will be able to tap into more expanded teams, increased investment, and a global network to increase the potential number of stem-cell donors for those in need in South Africa.
“A donor match could come from anywhere in the world, thus we must expand our international reach. For a second chance at life, we cross borders, collaborate globally, and leave no stone unturned to help patients regardless of their geographic location. Every patient deserves that chance. Only together can we make an impact in the lives of patients with blood disorders in South Africa and across the globe,” said Neujahr.
James said: “Our mission remains to give South African blood cancer patients and patients across the continent a second chance at life.
“People of African origin have unique tissue typing/DNA and are severely under-represented on the global database.
“In this respect, South Africa’s rainbow nation is at a distinct disadvantage, requiring a large pool of prospective donors,” she said.
“Already, our partnership with DKMS has born great benefits to our operations and has greatly boosted our capacity. We look forward to benefiting from DKMS’s wealth of expertise in the field of science and research, and in creating awareness.”