Education ‘could increase stem cell donation’

EDUCATION ABOUT stem cell donation, used to treat patients with blood cancers and blood disorders, could see an additional 55,000 young people a year join the register, a charity has suggested.

Many blood cancer patients do not receive the stem cell transplant they urgently need because there is no donor available or one cannot be found quickly enough.

Health education will be compulsory in all state-funded schools in England from September 2020 and the charity Anthony Nolan is urging the Department for Education to add stem cell donation to statutory guidance, which already covers blood and organ donation for secondary school pupils.

The charity estimates that including the issue on the curriculum could mean up to 10 per cent of the 550,000 students in each year group would choose to join the UK stem cell register once they become eligible at 16.

The charity commissioned research which suggested a lack of information about what stem cell donation involves – and how it could potentially save the life of someone with blood cancer – is currently stopping young people from joining the register.

Research revealed the majority had heard of stem cell donation, but their understanding of what it involves and why stem cell donors are needed was mixed. The results show that school leavers are often unaware they have the power to be a lifesaver, with one in five who had not joined the register saying they had never heard of it.

Chief executive Henny Braund said: “We know a lack of information about stem cell donation is preventing young people from joining the UK stem cell register. A small change to statutory guidance will help raise awareness, tackle misconceptions and show young people how they can make a positive contribution to society.”