Young Male Stem Cell Donors Could Be the Miracles Countless Patients Need

There is a shortage of young male stem cell donors in South Africa in the age group of 16 to 35, which significantly hampers the chances of finding suitable matches for patients.

There are potential heroes all around us, young men, healthy and willing to make an extraordinary difference. This Youth Month, the South African Bone Marrow Registry is making an urgent plea to you, if you’re a man aged between 16 and 35, to consider becoming a stem cell donor who could be the miracle that saves a life.

South Africa (11 June 2025) – If you’re a man aged anywhere between 16 and 35 and are in fairly good health, you could help save a life (or even a few).

More young men are needed to step up to the plate when it comes to addressing the shortage of stem cell donors in our country.

You may remember the inspiring story of 23-year-old Bradley Peters, who helped save the life of a South American patient in need of a bone marrow stem cell transplant, or that of Ramabele Tsolo’s harrowing battle with leukaemia, which was greatly alleviated by a precious gift from a male donor in the US.

These are just two real-life examples of how male stem cell donors have remarkably saved lives in their hour of need.

To help bring more lifesaving miracles for countless other patients battling rare conditions, the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) is urgently appealing to young men aged 16–35 to register as stem cell donors, as their critical underrepresentation is costing lives.

Despite being the most effective donors, offering better transplant outcomes and fewer complications, young men make up only 8.9% of registered donors in the country, far below the global average of 39%

This shortfall severely limits the chances of finding suitable matches for patients with life-threatening blood cancers, especially those from certain ethnic groups.

SABMR Youth Month Plea

With June marking Youth Month, the SABMR is calling on young men to step up and take action.

Jane Ward, Deputy Director for the SABMR, says while they have seen a noticeable increase in the number of youth signing up to the registry, the number of young women registering far outweighs that of their male counterparts.

“Our donor recruitment teams have been specifically targeting schools, universities and colleges over the last two years to spread awareness and sign up younger donors, but male representation is still lagging behind.”

Medical research has found that stem cell transplants from younger male donors lead to better patient outcomes, including higher survival rates and fewer complications post-transplant.

Stem cell age, just like other organs, declines with age; therefore, older donors do not yield as many stem cells as younger donors.

Ward explains that young male donors are less likely to trigger graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a serious post-transplant complication.

“Additionally, male donors typically yield a higher volume of stem cells, enhancing the effectiveness of transplants and likelihood of successful engraftment. We’ve also found that men have fewer pre-existing conditions versus women – leading to better donor eligibility.”

Donor Recruitment Supervisor for the SABMR, Gaelen Naidoo, says while the registry’s main focus is diversifying the donor pool by signing up as many stem cell donors to match the South African demographic, a bigger onus will be placed on recruiting younger males.

“We will be shifting our focus towards more targeted recruitment efforts, specifically during Youth Month, directed at young men. This month alone, the SABMR will be conducting seven donor recruitment drives at university campuses, high schools and local establishments that youth frequent in Cape Town, Free State, Johannesburg and Durban,” Naidoo explains.

Young men are invited to take action by joining recruitment drives or signing up online on the SAMBR’s website from the comfort of their homes or offices.

Registering as a stem cell donor is absolutely free, and all logistics with regard to issuing buccal swab kits and the couriering thereof are taken care of by the SABMR. To register and view the donor exclusion criteria, visit www.sabmr.co.za