CLUBBING TOGETHER

South Africa faces some unique challenges when it comes to stem cells. Cost has been a barrier.

Internationally, cord blood stem cells can be sourced from public banks that collect cord blood from voluntary donations. Since we don’t have a local public stem cell bank in South Africa, it puts South African patients at a disadvantage, as bringing in cord blood units from abroad is prohibitively expensive.

Dr Yvonne Holt, chief medical officer of Next Biosciences and Netcells Stem Cell Bank – the largest established private umbilical cord blood bank in Africa – says although great strides have been made internationally with regards to cord blood banking and stem cell treatment, it’s still not fully accessible in South Africa. In response to this, Netcells now has a community stem cell bank in partnership with the South African Bone Marrow Registry – the only bank of its kind in the country. It offers the opportunity to store your baby’s cord blood at a significantly reduced rate. You can either use the cord blood unit within your own family or give it to someone in the community who may need a lifesaving transplant. If the cord blood unit is utilised by someone else, then all costs associated with the storage are refunded to you.

“This will greatly improve transplant options for SA’s diverse demographic, as it can be difficult to find a bone marrow stem cell match for patients of African origin given the lack of donors from these communities. It’s important to educate all South Africans regarding the importance of building a donor base that can serve all members of our community,” Dr Holt says.

Alternatively, you can choose to go the private cord blood banking route and pay the full price to have your baby’s cord unit stored exclusively for your child or family’s use.