Press Releases
PROJECT START ANNOUNCEMENT
The National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors announces the start of the project for the “Digitalization of the National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors”.
This project will be financed by the European Union and the Government of Romania through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and has the following defining features.
Project Title – “Digitalization of the National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors,” funded through the PNRR, Component 7 – Digital Transformation, Specific Investment: I3.2 – Digitalization of institutions with responsibilities in the health sector under the Ministry of Health. Main CPV code for the acquisition: 48900000-7 – Various software packages and IT systems.
Project Objectives – The goal of creating an integrated IT system within RNDVCSH is to digitize the work processes, which will reduce the processing time of information, benefiting all involved, but primarily patients with severe hematological conditions, who will wait less for a transplant from a compatible donor outside of their family.
The digitization of work processes will be achieved through the implementation of applications as well as through the technological upgrade of the IT infrastructure, ensuring that the RNDVCSH benefits from an integrated, modern system in alignment with European and international standards and legislation.
Expected Duration of the Contract (Implementation Period) – April 15, 2024 – September 30, 2025
Total Project Value – 2,481,800 RON, plus VAT of 471,542 RON
Impact of the Investment – This project, to be implemented within RNDVCSH through the use of digital workflows, proposes the following benefits:
- It will increase efficiency, accuracy, and speed in every phase of a workflow, allowing remote access which will speed up form completion and provide an attractive, fast, and secure interface for all participants.
- It will contribute to the implementation of a high level of security for the work processes, both in terms of securing the entire system and in identifying each participant in the workflow.
- RNDVCSH will be able to ensure the quality and safety standards for hematopoietic stem cell grafts and additional cellular products intended for transplant to patients compatible with voluntary donors registered in RNDVCSH.
- It will facilitate the rapid identification of a compatible unrelated donor, potentially even halving the waiting time for hematologic patients to undergo the transplant procedure.
- It will practically expand the database where searches are conducted for compatible unrelated donors for patients with serious blood conditions who require a transplant. Every new registration in the Register brings oncological-hematological patients closer to recovery!
For more information about the project, please contact us:
Email: office@rndvcsh.ro
500 Romanian patients benefit from stem cell transplants and over 104,000 volunteer donors registered – a balance of hope announced by the National Register of Voluntary Stem Cell Donors on the occasion of World Marrow Donor Day
The total number of registered volunteer donors in the National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Registry in Romania has reached 104,253, with 4,057 potential donors signing up in 2024. Since the establishment of the National Registry in April 2013, 500 Romanian patients with hematological diseases have received stem cell transplants from unrelated donors, gaining a new lease on life. For 25 of these patients, donors were found in Romania, while the others had their donors located in Registries from other countries. Another 30 Romanian donors have donated to hematology patients abroad. These are just a few numbers from a balance of hope announced by the Romanian National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Registry on the occasion of World Marrow Donor Day, celebrated each year in September.
Hematopoietic stem cells are capable of transforming into any type of adult (functional) cell of the blood and immune system, and they are found in bone marrow. They can also be harvested at birth from umbilical cord blood.
Every 3 minutes, someone in the world is diagnosed with blood cancer. Many of these individuals can be cured by a stem cell transplant from a compatible donor. Unfortunately, fewer than 30% of patients have a compatible donor in their family, and for the remaining 70%, their only chance of survival is finding an unrelated compatible donor from stem cell donor Registries in other countries.
Volunteer donors from the Romanian Registry join the 43 million individuals registered in Registries worldwide. The chances of finding a compatible donor are, on average, between 1 in 200,000 to 500,000, so even though the National Registry has over 104,000 registered donors, this number must be increased to minimize waiting lists and increase the chances for patients with severe blood diseases who urgently need a transplant. For 1 in 3 patients, a compatible donor is not found, and currently, 47 Romanian patients are waiting for a donor. Increasing the number of registered donors in Romania will increase the chances of saving more patients suffering from blood cancer or other severe hematological diseases.
“We are very happy that, in these days, we have contributed to the achievement of the 500th transplant! Behind this number are people who now have a chance to overcome cruel diseases and indescribable suffering thanks to stem cell transplants donated by unrelated donors. We thank the more than 104,000 potential donors registered in the Registry. The fact that you have chosen to register not only gives a glimmer of hope to those waiting for a transplant but also shows a personal commitment to life and to the common good. I invite everyone who cares to take this step. The more of us there are, the greater the chances of finding compatible donors,” said Dr. Traian Laurian Arghișan, Interim General Director, RNDVCSH.
Globally, 43 million potential donors are registered in 110 Registries from 60 countries across all continents. This represents only 0.5% of the world’s population. Annually, donors are requested for over 38,000 hematological patients. For 46% of oncological-hematological patients needing a transplant, donors are found in Registries from other countries.
World Stem Cell Donor Day is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of September, thanking all stem cell donors worldwide who have donated or are waiting to save lives.
In Romania, World Stem Cell Donor Day is celebrated by the Registry with a series of events to inform and promote stem cell donation, within the “Donate a Chance to Life!” campaign, held in Bucharest and several other centers across the country.
In Bucharest, between September 20-22, 2024, the City Hall building will be illuminated in the colors of World Stem Cell Donor Day – WMDD (white, blue, red) and will display the messages “DONATE A CHANCE TO LIFE” and “THANK YOU, DONOR!”
On September 22, 2024, the control tower of the Special Telecommunications Service will be illuminated in the specific colors (white, blue, red).
On September 21, 2024, starting at 18:00, choirs from the National Integration Program through Music “CANTUS MUNDI” will perform an artistic moment in front of the National Museum of Romanian History. This event is organized within the “Open Streets-Bucharest, Urban Promenade” program, carried out by the Bucharest City Hall, through the Department of Culture, Education, and Tourism, together with ARCUB – Bucharest Municipality Cultural Center and PROEDUS – The Educational and Sports Projects Center of Bucharest Municipality, as regional operators.
We thank our partners for their contribution and support: Romanian Television Society, Romanian Radio Broadcasting Society, Bucharest City Hall, Bucharest Transport Society, METROREX, Special Telecommunications Service.
The “Donate a Chance to Life!” campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health, within the national health program “Hematopoietic Stem Cell Peripheral and Central Bone Marrow Transplantation.”
The role of the RNDVCSH is to identify and ensure, to international standards, compatible unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donors for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and do not have compatible family donors.
Registration in the National Register of Voluntary Stem Cell Donors is done in two ways: offline – at a donor center, and online, from anywhere, without needing to travel to a center. So far, over 4,000 people have registered online.
More details about how someone can become a volunteer donor can be found on the Registry’s websites: www.registru-celule-stem.ro; www.rndvcsh.ro and on its social channels.
The stories of “heroes” can be read here: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/povesti/
Information about online registration in the Registry can be found by accessing this link: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate/
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation saves lives!
Donate hematopoietic stem cells and give people battling blood cancer the vital solution they need to survive.
Every year, three out of every 100,000 Romanians receive the frightening diagnosis of leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or aplastic anemia. For some, the only therapeutic solution is a hematopoietic stem cell transplant from a genetically compatible donor.
May 28 — World Blood Cancer Day — is marked each year to support people affected by blood cancers and to encourage the donation of hematopoietic stem cells that make life-saving transplants possible. This year, the international message of the campaign is “Save a life!”
Hematopoietic stem cells have the unique ability to transform into any type of functional adult blood or immune cell and are found in the bone marrow. They can also be collected at birth from umbilical cord blood.
The hematopoietic stem cell transplant procedure replaces diseased bone marrow with healthy marrow capable of producing normal blood cells.
“A hematopoietic stem cell transplant means life. There are more and more blood cancer patients for whom a bone marrow transplant is the only chance. People aged 18 to 45 in good general health who wish to help save a life can register to become voluntary donors,”
says Cezar Irimia, President of the Romanian Federation of Cancer Patient Associations (FABC).
Transplantation is used as treatment for conditions such as:
- acute leukemia
- multiple myeloma
- severe aplastic anemia
- sickle cell disease
- major thalassemia
- immune deficiency disorders
- Fanconi anemia, etc.
“Today, patients with malignant hematologic disorders in Romania have access to the necessary therapies, thanks to the availability of modern diagnostic testing and personalized treatments,”
states Prof. Dr. Horia Bumbea, hematology specialist.
Unrelated individuals can also be donors. Studies show that only about 25% of patients have a matching sibling donor. Therefore, to find a compatible donor in time, a search is initiated through the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors (RNDVCSH), both nationally and internationally.
Unfortunately, the number of registered donors remains insufficient. The chance of finding a genetic match is between 1 in 200,000 to 1 in 500,000. Although over 100,000 people are registered in the National Registry, this number is still too low, resulting in long waiting lists and fewer chances for patients in urgent need of a transplant. At this time, 47 patients are desperately waiting for a compatible donor.
“On World Blood Cancer Day, the Registry sends its thoughts to all patients fighting these diseases. Today especially, we recognize the extraordinary courage and resilience they show every day. Their fight inspires us and motivates us to intensify our efforts to find donors, mobilizing all our resources and expertise.
The 483 patients who have received unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplants and a new chance at life are proof of our determination.
To young, healthy, and compassionate individuals, we say this simple and human call to action:
‘Donate a chance at life – register today!’”
— Dr. Traian Laurian Arghişan, Chief Public Health and Management Physician, Interim General Director of RNDVCSH
Types of hematopoietic stem cell transplants:
Autologous transplant (using the patient’s own stem cells):
Involves collecting stem cells from the patient, storing them, and reinfusing them after high-dose chemotherapy or radiation. The goal is to destroy remaining cancer cells and restore bone marrow function.
Used primarily for certain blood cancers like multiple myeloma or malignant lymphomas. Not all patients are eligible.
Allogeneic transplant (from a donor):
Involves collecting stem cells from a compatible donor and transfusing them into the patient. The goal is to restore normal blood cell production and induce a graft-versus-tumor effect, where donor cells fight cancer cells.
Used for both malignant and non-malignant conditions, such as severe aplastic anemia.
The donated cells are administered via transfusion, regardless of how they were collected.
Save a Life: Register Today!
You can join the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors by visiting a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Center (usually at major city blood transfusion centers) or quickly and easily through online registration.
More details: https://registru-celule-stem.ro/implica-te/
The World Blood Cancer Day campaign is organized by the Federation of Cancer Patient Associations with the support of Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, and in partnership with the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors Exceeds 100,000 Registered Donors – Anonymous Heroes in the Life-Saving Story
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors announces that it has surpassed the milestone of 100,000 registered voluntary hematopoietic stem cell donors. This impressive figure brings new strength to the Registry’s efforts to save lives and offers hope to patients with severe blood diseases.
Since the establishment of the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors, 466 Romanian patients have received hematopoietic stem cell transplants from unrelated donors. For 24 of these patients, compatible genetic donors were found within Romania. Thanks to the interconnection of the Registry with similar international structures, in the 10 years of the Registry’s existence, 25 Romanian donors have been compatible and contributed to saving patients from other countries such as Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Slovakia, and the United States.
In 2023, 12 Romanian donors underwent hematopoietic stem cell donation procedures, marking the highest annual figure since the Registry became operational.
“The 100,000 registered donors encourage us to continue our efforts to grow the Registry because only in this way can we contribute to saving the lives of patients with blood cancers. We are overwhelmed by the generosity and support from the donors who have joined our mission. Each new registrant is a tangible opportunity for patients, as well as a vote of confidence in our mission. We sincerely thank every donor. Only this way can we bring hope, health, and joy to the lives of those with oncological-hematological diseases who need a second chance. Together, we are a living example of human strength and compassion. We encourage you to share our humanitarian message with your friends and family to inspire even more people to join us,” said Dr. Traian Laurian Arghișan, Interim General Director, National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
Worldwide, every 3 minutes, a person is diagnosed with a blood cancer, and the only therapeutic solution is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This type of transplant can save the lives of patients with over 70 serious blood diseases, including leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas, aplastic anemia, and severe hereditary hemolytic anemias.
The role of the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors (RNDVCSH) is to identify and ensure, according to international standards, compatible unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donors for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and do not have compatible family donors. The majority of transplants are done from donors outside the family.
Increasing the number of donors registered in the National Registry from all areas of the country increases the chance of saving more patients suffering from blood cancer or other severe hematological diseases.
For more details on how someone can become a voluntary donor, visit the Registry websites: www.registru-celule-stem.ro; www.rndvcsh.ro, and its social media channels.
The “Heroes” stories can be read here: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/povesti/
Information about online registration in the Registry can be found by accessing the link: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate/
Press Release Comunicat de Presă
For more details, contact:
Dr. Traian Laurian Arghișan, Interim General Director
96,921 People Registered in the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors – More Chances for Those Fighting Blood Cancers
World Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Day is celebrated worldwide on the third Saturday of September.
So far, 96,921 potential donors have registered in the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors, with 4,532 of them registering in 2023. Since the establishment of the Registry in April 2013, 430 Romanian patients have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplants from unrelated donors. For 22 of these patients, the compatible donors were from Romania, and for the others, compatible donors were found in Registries from other countries such as Germany, Poland, the UK, Italy, Spain, France, Cyprus, Israel, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, or India. Currently, 41 Romanian patients are waiting for a donor.
Over its 10 years of existence, the National Registry has provided search services for 2,219 foreign patients, responding to requests from the international Registry network, with 139 services provided this year alone. 24 Romanian donors were compatible and donated for patients from Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain, Slovakia, and the United States.
Worldwide, every 3 minutes, a person is diagnosed with a blood cancer, and the only therapeutic solution is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This type of transplant can save the lives of patients with over 70 severe blood diseases, including leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas, aplastic anemia, and severe hereditary hemolytic anemias, as well as conditions like myelodysplastic syndrome, hereditary immune system disorders, and inherited metabolic disorders.
“It is essential to raise awareness about the importance of registering as a potential donor and the impact of transplantation on the lives of patients. Increasing the number of donors registered in the National Registry, from all areas of the country, increases the chance of saving more patients suffering from blood cancer or other severe hematological diseases. Since tomorrow we celebrate World Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Day, I would like to thank all the voluntary donors in Romania and around the world who have donated hematopoietic stem cells,” said Dr. Traian Laurian Arghișan, Interim General Director, National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
Registration in the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors is done in two ways: offline – at a donor center, and online, from anywhere, without the need to travel to a center. So far, 3,759 people have registered online.
The majority of potential donors are registered from Oradea, Bucharest, Timișoara, Arad, Olt, and Galați, with over 7,000 potential donors in these centers.
Since the first transplant in 1957, more than 1.2 million hematopoietic stem cell transplants have been performed worldwide. Globally, over 42 million potential donors are registered in Registries in 56 countries, across all continents, representing only 0.5% of the world’s population. Annually, over 50,000 patients search for a donor outside their family, and for 50% of patients needing a transplant, donors are found in Registries from other countries.
In 2022, more than 24,000 potential donors registered in international Registries donated hematopoietic stem cells for unrelated patients. However, for 6% of international patients, compatible donors were not found.
World Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Day is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of September. The initiative has also been adopted locally, with Romania joining 55 other countries worldwide, thanking all hematopoietic stem cell donors who have donated or are waiting to save lives.
In Romania, World Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Day is celebrated by the Registry through a series of informational events and promotion of hematopoietic stem cell donation, as part of the “Donate a Chance for Life!” campaign, carried out in centers across the country. In Bucharest, on the night of September 16-17, the Capital City Hall building will be illuminated in the colors of World Marrow Donor Day – WMDD (white, blue, red), and the message THANK YOU DONOR will be projected.
The “Donate a Chance for Life!” campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health within the national health program “Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation – Peripheral and Central Bone Marrow.”
The role of the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors (RNDVCSH) is to identify and ensure, according to international standards, compatible unrelated hematopoietic stem cell donors for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and do not have compatible family donors.
More details on how someone can become a voluntary donor can be found on the registry websites: www.registru-celule-stem.ro; www.rndvcsh.ro and on its social media channels.
The “Heroes” stories can be read here: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/povesti/ Information about online registration in the Registry can be found by accessing the link: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate/
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, One of the Most Effective Treatments for Blood Cancers
Every year, three out of 100,000 Romanians are diagnosed with a blood cancer, while worldwide, every 35 seconds, a person learns they are suffering from such a disease. In recent years, treatment options have significantly increased, and one of the treatments that have proven to be most effective is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The main advantage of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is that it offers a chance for cure or long-term remission for patients suffering from blood cancers who are indicated for this procedure.
World Blood Cancer Day is observed every year on May 28, with the goal of supporting people suffering from blood cancer and promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, which make transplantation possible.
“By celebrating Blood Cancer Awareness Day, we try to raise awareness about what blood cancer is, how it is diagnosed, how it is treated, and what chances of recovery exist. Hematological cancers benefit from one of the most advanced areas of research, with new personalized therapies and targeted treatments discovered in recent years, offering chances for a cure even for cases that are refractory to standard treatments. All types of hematopoietic stem cell transplants have become routine therapies in Romania, and we hope that the newly introduced cellular therapies will develop further in the near future,” says Prof. Dr. Alina Tănase, President of the Romanian Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation.
“Patients suffering from blood cancer now have more and more treatment options, which can be seen in the increasingly encouraging results of therapies and the improvement in quality of life,” says Cezar Irimia, President of the Romanian Federation of Cancer Patients Associations (FABC).
One of the treatments that has proven to be most effective for blood cancers so far is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation—a procedure used to replace diseased bone marrow with healthy marrow that can produce normal blood cells. The transplant is indicated for the treatment of several diseases, such as acute leukemia, multiple myeloma, as well as severe aplastic anemia, sickle cell disease, major thalassemia, immunodeficiency diseases, Fanconi anemia, hereditary metabolic disorders, etc.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can be of two types: autotransplant (the transplant of one’s own stem cells) and allotransplant (a transplant from a donor). Stem cells are administered to the patient in the form of a transfusion, regardless of the method by which they were donated. In both types of transplantation, the patient’s recovery may take months or years.
Autotransplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (or autologous transplant) is a therapeutic procedure that involves collecting hematopoietic stem cells from the patient, storing them under special conditions, and reinfusing them after high-dose chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment. The goal of autotransplantation is to destroy residual tumor cells and restore the function of bone marrow, which is affected by aggressive treatments. Autotransplantation is mainly used for treating certain hematologic malignant diseases (such as multiple myeloma, malignant lymphomas, etc.), but not all patients are eligible for this procedure.
Allotransplantation of hematopoietic stem cells is a therapeutic procedure that involves collecting hematopoietic stem cells from a compatible donor and transfusing them into a patient who needs to replace diseased or destroyed bone marrow. The goal of allotransplantation is to restore normal blood cell production and induce a graft-versus-tumor effect, i.e., an immune response of the donor’s cells against the tumor cells. Allotransplantation is mainly used for treating hematologic malignant diseases but is also used for treating non-malignant diseases, such as severe aplastic anemia.
“A donor can be a family member or an unrelated person registered in a volunteer donor Registry. The requirements are to be a healthy person and be between 18 and 60 years old. Currently, there are nearly 100,000 people registered in Romania’s donor Registry, with 45 people waiting for a compatible donor. Since the chances of compatibility increase with geographical proximity, I encourage Romanians to register in the Registry and become a life-saving chance for others. Details about how you can become a stem cell donor can be found on the website www.registru-celule-stem.ro,” says Dr. Traian Laurian Arghişan, Interim General Director of the National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
Stefania (31 years old) decided in July 2019 to undergo routine tests before going to a music festival with her tent. The diagnosis: acute leukemia. “What did I feel when I received the diagnosis? It was a shock. Nothing can prepare you for such news.” Stefania underwent chemotherapy at Colțea Hospital and was then transferred to the Fundeni Institute, where she received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor. “I feel excellent and have returned to a normal life. I am deeply grateful that a young person had the courage and generosity to donate stem cells, which meant healing for me. It saved my life!”
Adrian was 29 years old when he was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. “When I found out the diagnosis, my first thought was death. What else could you think about?” His brother was tested for compatibility, but unfortunately, the news was not good. After 7 months in the hospital, Adrian received the news that a donor from Germany had been found, compatible by 90%: a woman. “It’s like being born again. It helped me reconsider life, to view every second differently. It awakened in me the desire for knowledge and to do good,” says Adrian, now 37 years old.
For more details about blood cancers, you can learn more here, and on the website www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate, you can see how to become a donor and save a life.
World Blood Cancer Day is observed every year on May 28 as a wake-up call to raise awareness about the importance of these types of cancer, but also to encourage people to register in the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
September 16, 2022
The Romanian Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors Aims to Find a Compatible Donor for Every Patient
World Marrow Donor Day is celebrated globally each September.
In 2022, over 3,649 Romanian donors registered with the national Registry, which now counts 86,350 individuals. In Romania, 3 out of every 100,000 people are diagnosed annually with blood cancers, and the only therapeutic solution is a hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
Since April 2013, when the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors became operational, 366 Romanian patients have received transplants from unrelated donors. Of these, 17 donors were from Romania, and the rest came from international Registries in countries such as Germany, Poland, the UK, Italy, Spain, France, Cyprus, Israel, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, and India.
International Registries have requested Romania’s assistance in searching for compatible donors for 2,002 foreign patients, and 176 such services were provided this year. 17 Romanian donors matched and donated for patients in Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the UK, Russia, Spain, Slovakia, and the United States.
Currently, 95% of matched donors for Romanian patients come from international Registries, while only 5% are from the national Registry. To increase the chances of finding a compatible donor for the 38.5% of Romanian patients without a match in international Registries, over 5% of Romania’s population needs to be enrolled in the national Registry. Currently, only 0.45% of the population is registered, compared to 10% in Germany, 12% in Israel, and 13% in Cyprus.
This is why Registry officials emphasize the need to raise awareness about the life-saving impact of stem cell donors and to encourage more Romanians to register. World Marrow Donor Day, celebrated tomorrow worldwide, is an opportunity to bring the topic of life-saving transplants back into the public conversation and to highlight the urgent need for more Romanian donors.
A review of Romanian transplant cases since 2013 shows that 37% of patients who found a compatible donor underwent a transplant from an unrelated donor. Unfortunately, 7% lost the opportunity for a transplant due to disease relapse, and 14% lost their battle with the illness. Currently, 35 Romanian patients are waiting for a donor.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can save lives in over 70 serious blood diseases, including leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas, aplastic anemia, severe hereditary hemolytic anemias, and other conditions such as myelodysplastic syndromes, inherited immune disorders, and metabolic diseases.
“It is very important to have as many people as possible registered in the national Registry, because this increases the chances for a Romanian patient to find a compatible donor quickly. This way, a compatible donor can be found in just a few hours. For many blood cancer patients, a transplant is their last chance for life. That’s why every registration counts. And because tomorrow we celebrate World Marrow Donor Day, I would like to thank all volunteer donors worldwide who have donated hematopoietic stem cells,” said Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
How to register: Registration in the National Registry can be done offline – at a donor center, or online, from anywhere, without needing to visit a center.
Globally, over 40 million potential donors are listed in Registries across 61 countries. Every year, over 50,000 patients search for unrelated donors, and 50% of them find donors through international Registries.
Over 500,000 donors worldwide have donated hematopoietic stem cells to unrelated patients, including 41,946 in 2021. Still, 8% of international patients did not find a compatible donor.
“On World Marrow Donor Day, we celebrate the values we believe in and the deep gratitude we owe to our donors – the professionals in the transplant community, and especially the patients suffering from life-threatening diseases that deeply impact their families. Even though it is just one day, it succinctly reflects the principles that guide us throughout the year,” said Jeff Szer, former President of the World Marrow Donor Association.
World Marrow Donor Day is celebrated every year on the third Saturday of September, aiming to thank millions of stem cell donors registered worldwide and to highlight global cooperation in stem cell transplantation.
The campaign “Donate a Chance at Life!” is supported by the Ministry of Health through the national health program “Peripheral and Central Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation”.
We can all contribute – by sharing our experience as a donor or recipient of hematopoietic stem cells, or by registering as a potential life-saver.
More information on how to become a donor:
- registru-celule-stem.ro
- rndvcsh.ro
- Social media channels of the National Registry
Online registration link: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate/
Press Release Comunicat de Presă
Additional Information Informații suplimentare
Press Conference Presentation Prezentare Conferinta de Presă
Photos from the Press Conference Poze de la Conferința de presă
Press Conference Video Video Conferință de presă
Old Needs and New Treatments for Blood Cancer Patients
On World Blood Cancer Awareness Day, the Federation of Cancer Patient Associations of Romania (FABC), the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors, and the Romanian Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation have two key messages:
- There is an urgent need for a large number of Romanians to register in the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors, and
- Starting this year, CAR-T cell therapies are available in Romania for patients with blood cancers.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Means LIFE
For many patients with blood cancers, a hematopoietic stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor is the only therapeutic option. Finding a compatible match is more likely within the same geographic region. One in three patients has no compatible donor, which is why more people need to get involved and register as potential donors.
“From the beginning of this year until now, only 2,678 people have registered in the National Stem Cell Donor Registry—far too few considering our needs. Currently, 36 patients are waiting for a compatible donor. That donor could be any one of you. You can visit the Registry’s website and sign up. The steps are so simple for a healthy person, yet they mean so much for a patient with blood cancer who is waiting for a second chance at life,” says Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director, National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
“Every new person who registers in the Registry means one more chance for a patient awaiting a life-saving transplant. The only requirements are being aged 18 to 45 and in good health. With everyone’s involvement, curing these cancers becomes a reality, not just a theory,”adds Cezar Irimia, President of FABC.
CAR-T Cell Therapies Now Available in Romania
As of this year, Romanian patients now have access to CAR-T cell therapies. These innovative treatments offer hope to patients with advanced, relapsed, or treatment-resistant blood cancers, including those who did not respond to conventional therapies or relapsed after stem cell transplantation.
Unlike standard or even targeted cancer therapies, cellular therapy uses the immune system itself to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
“We’re talking about a completely different approach from what people consider a typical medication—a ‘living’ therapy that stays in the body as long as it can find and target an antigen. Unlike conventional medicine, CAR-T therapy (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) is customized for each individual patient. As such, its manufacturing process demands a radical shift in production, logistics, and administration,” explains Professor Alina Tănase, President of the Romanian Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation.
“This program was my last chance. I have no words. This treatment gave me a new life, and I’m grateful to the doctors,” says Marin Olteanu, one of the patients who benefited from this revolutionary therapy.
Hematopoietic Stem Cells Give Life
Stem cells are considered the building blocks of life, forming the basis of all cell types in the human body. Hematopoietic stem cells are capable of developing into all adult (functional) blood and immune cells. These cells are found in bone marrow and are collected from peripheral blood or the pelvic bone marrow, not the spine, as is often mistakenly believed.
You can find more details about blood cancers here, and on the website www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate you can learn how to become a donor and potentially save a life.
World Blood Cancer Awareness Day is observed every year on May 28, to raise awareness of these types of cancers and encourage people to enroll in the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
Over 80,000 Romanians registered in the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Registry are ready to offer a chance at life to others
World Marrow Donor Day is celebrated worldwide this year on September 18.
In 2021, over 4,971 Romanian donors enrolled in the national Registry, bringing the total number of registered potential donors in Romania to 80,399. Since the National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Registry became operational in April 2013, 328 patients have received transplants from unrelated donors, and 31 Romanians have donated to save the lives of unrelated patients—16 of them for Romanian patients.
In Romania, 3 people per 100,000 inhabitants are diagnosed annually with blood cancers, for whom hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is often the only cure. Currently, 37 patients are awaiting a compatible donor who could save their lives.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can save patients with over 70 serious blood diseases, including leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas, aplastic anemia, and severe hereditary hemolytic anemias, as well as myelodysplastic syndrome, hereditary immune disorders, and inherited metabolic diseases.
“First of all, I would like to thank all the volunteer donors who have registered since the beginning of the Registry, and especially those who have donated hematopoietic stem cells this year, which has been challenging for everyone. Although there are over 80,000 potential donors registered in the Romanian Registry, currently only 0.33% of the population is registered. For the 33% of patients who cannot find a compatible donor even in international Registries, the solution is for over 5% of Romania’s population to enroll in the RNDVCSH,” declared Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director, National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
10 Romanian donors donated during the Covid-19 pandemic, 7 of them for Romanian patients treated in local transplant centers. Due to flight restrictions, grafts from international donors were transported via road on “green lanes” and delivered in less than 48 hours. To reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission and potential loss of cell viability, two-thirds of the stem cell grafts were cryopreserved, with the transplant scheduled for a later date.
Since 2019, registration in the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors can also be done online, allowing any healthy person aged 18 to 45 to register from home without visiting a donor center.
Worldwide, more than 39 million potential donors are registered in 61 countries across all continents. Each year, over 50,000 patients search for a donor outside their family, and for 49% of those in need, a match is found in international Registries.
More than 330,000 donors from international Registries have donated stem cells to unrelated patients, 22,373 of them in 2020 alone. Still, for 8% of international patients, no compatible donor has been found. Increasing the number of volunteers in Romania improves the chances of finding a match for Romanian patients.
Since the first transplant in 1957, over one million hematopoietic stem cell transplants have been performed globally.
World Marrow Donor Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of September to thank the millions of registered donors and to highlight the importance of global cooperation in stem cell transplantation.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) has again chosen to celebrate this year’s event online. A 24-hour livestream on YouTube will begin at 8:00 AM Romanian time, showcasing videos from all international Registries. Romania’s segment will air at 2:00 PM. The full program can be viewed here: https://worldmarrowdonorday.org/live-stream/24hr-live-stream-program/
More information about becoming a donor is available on the registry websites: www.registru-celule-stem.ro, www.rndvcsh.ro and on their social media channels.
Info on online registration: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate/
For additional details: Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu aurora.dragomiristeanu@rndvcsh.ro
Additional Information Informații suplimentare
RNDVCSH Infographic Infografic RNDVCSH
RNDVCSH Infographic Infografic RNDVCSH
Common Best Practices of International Registries Bune practici comune ale registrelor internaționale
No Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors in the Pandemic Year of 2021
On World Blood Cancer Day, the Romanian Federation of Cancer Patients Associations (FABC), in partnership with the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors and the Romanian Society for Bone Marrow Transplantation, is sounding the alarm. In 2021, no donor from the Registry was a match for a blood cancer patient in need of a transplant. The reason? Too few people are registered as potential hematopoietic stem cell donors.
From the beginning of the year until now, only 2,913 people have enrolled in the National Registry. For many blood cancer patients, transplantation is the only therapeutic option. This year, 21 patients received transplants, but 37 diagnosed patients still have no genetic match and are hoping each day that a new volunteer donor will become their chance at life.
“Blood cancers currently only have theoretical chances of cure if too few people are registered. That’s why we need more involvement from everyone. It’s very hard to find a compatible donor. In over 70% of cases, the donor is not a family member. Therefore, every newly registered person represents a chance for normalcy. Even though we’re still in a pandemic and much of the medical focus has shifted to COVID-19 patients, we must continue to stand by those battling cancer,” said Cezar Irimia, President of FABC.
The Need for Donors and the Challenges of the Pandemic
“Stem cell transplant activity continued despite the pandemic, with emergency procedures being performed—mainly allotransplants for acute leukemias and autotransplants for malignant lymphomas. We’ve tried to follow international guidelines and to keep both patients and staff safe, with every effort,” said Prof. Dr. Alina Tănase, President of the Romanian Society for Bone Marrow Transplantation.
Last year, under pandemic restrictions, five Romanians donated stem cells to blood cancer patients. One of them was Georgian Trocea, whose story can be heard online.
Another inspiring story is that of Cătălin Psenișnic, the first child in Romania to receive a transplant from an unrelated donor. Eight years later, he is living a healthy life.
Become a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor & Give Someone a Chance at Life
Anyone can help save the life of someone with blood cancer. The only requirements are:
- Age between 18 and 45
- In good health
“Why is it important to increase the number of Romanians in the Registry? The answer is simple: currently, 1 in 3 Romanian patients needing a stem cell transplant has no compatible donor. The more people from the patient’s country who are registered, the higher the chances of finding a match.
Registration is very easy. On our website, www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate, just fill out the form with your contact details. You’ll receive a buccal swab kit by mail to collect your own cheek cell sample. Then you follow the instructions to send the sample back for testing. It only takes a few minutes to give someone a chance at life,” explains Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, Director General of the National Registry.
After HLA testing, personal data is validated, pseudonymized, and encrypted. The registered person receives a confirmation letter. If found to be a genetic match with a patient, they will be contacted by the Registry.
Registry Stats and International Cooperation
Currently, 78,341 Romanians are registered. While that may sound like a large number, it represents only 0.3% of the population, compared to:
- 10% in Germany
- 12% in Israel
- 13% in Cyprus
The Romanian Registry is too small to find timely matches for a third of Romanian patients who need transplants.
However, it is connected to 60 international Registries, forming a global network of over 40 million volunteer stem cell donors.
Since becoming operational in April 2013, the Romanian Registry has helped 311 Romanian patients receive stem cell transplants from unrelated donors. Only 12 of those donors were from Romania; the rest came from countries such as Germany, Poland, UK, Italy, Spain, France, Cyprus, Israel, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, and India.
What Are Blood Cancers?
Globally, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer every 35 seconds. In Romania, 3 new cases per 100,000 people are diagnosed annually. The most common types:
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Myeloma
For many, a stem cell transplant is the only hope for a return to normal life.
Hematopoietic Stem Cells – The Cells That Give Life
Stem cells are considered the building blocks of life, capable of becoming any type of blood or immune system cell. Hematopoietic stem cells are found in:
- Bone marrow
- Peripheral blood
- Umbilical cord blood (at birth)
They are collected either from adult donors or from the umbilical cord at childbirth.
World Blood Cancer Day is marked each year on May 28th as a call to raise awareness and encourage people to register as potential stem cell donors.
This year’s event is supported by Novartis, Janssen, and Bristol Myers Squibb.
The International Grand Prize 2020 of the World Marrow Donor Association was awarded to the Romanian Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors
The National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors carried out the best campaign organized in 2020 to celebrate World Marrow Donor Day. Every year, at the annual conference of the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA), during the Champions Gala, winners are announced for three categories: the Encouragement Award, the Originality Award and the Grand Prize.
This is the second year that the Romanian Registry has been nominated for the Grand Prize, after winning the Originality Award in 2018. This year, the nominees for the Grand Prize were the registries of Singapore, Spain, and Romania. The campaign organized by the Romanian Registry received the highest evaluation from the international jury, and the award was presented by Mrs. Bronwen Shaw, President of the WMDA.
“This international award granted by the World Marrow Donor Association encourages us to believe that our efforts are heading in the right direction. It is a public recognition of the importance of voluntary hematopoietic stem cell donors who choose to save lives. We provide the framework, common international standards and support, but without their involvement, our work would not be possible. This award honors us, but also holds us accountable and compels us to continue what we started eight years ago with even more dedication. I thank the team and our partners for their constant efforts and I am convinced that together we can save lives,” said Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of the Romanian Registry.
The National Registry actively develops awareness campaigns for stem cell donation, such as “Donate a Chance at Life!”, and projects aimed at improving coordination and communication between medical institutions involved in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. At the same time, the Registry continually works to inform and educate the Romanian population about the importance of registering as donors.
In its eight years of operation, 76,464 voluntary donors have registered. However, the number of registered donors remains low — only 0.3% of Romania’s population — which is well below the European Union average of 3%.
Since its establishment, the Registry has facilitated 303 hematopoietic stem cell transplants from unrelated donors in transplant centers in Romania. Even so, 1 in 3 Romanian patients diagnosed with blood cancer is still waiting for a compatible unrelated donor. Statistically, the chance of finding a compatible donor is higher among people from the same country. Each newly registered donor could be a lifesaving match for someone waiting for a transplant.
To date, 26 donors registered in the Romanian Registry have donated hematopoietic stem cells for unrelated patients: 12 for Romanian patients and 14 for international patients.
Compatible donors for Romanian patients transplanted in domestic centers have been identified either in the Romanian Registry (4%) or in international registries. For 9 out of 10 Romanian patients, a compatible donor was found in registries from EU countries, and for 23 patients, donors were identified in other countries such as India, Israel, the UK, and Turkey.
World Marrow Donor Day was initiated by the WMDA and is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of September. Its purpose is to thank the millions of stem cell donors registered around the world and to recognize the global cooperation in stem cell transplantation.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was celebrated mostly virtually. However, despite these difficult times, registries worldwide continued to operate and celebrate together.
The “Donate a Chance at Life!” campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health through the national health program “Peripheral and Central Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation”.
More information about becoming a donor can be found on the Registry’s websites:
www.registru-celule-stem.ro, www.rndvcsh.ro and on the social media channels.
Information about the World Marrow Donor Association and World Marrow Donor Day can be found at:
https://wmda.info/
https://worldmarrowdonorday.org/,
https://www.rndvcsh.ro/ziua-mondiala-a-donatorului-voluntar-de-celule-stem-hematopoietice-2020/
conducted in Romania in the last 8 years
Bucharest, 19th February 2021 – The National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors (RNDVCSH) and the Romanian Society for Bone Marrow Transplantation (SRTM), which promotes best practices at national and international level for the benefit of donors and patients waiting for a transplant, announces the realization of 300 de transplants of hematopoietic stem cells from unrelated donors, made in transplant centres in the country during the eight years of activity in Romania.
Since April 2013, when the Romanian Registry became operational, 299 patients have benefited from hematopoietic stem cell transplants from unrelated donors, and two of them also needed a second transplant. Of the total number of patients, 23% were children.
Donors compatible with Romanian patients transplanted in transplant centres in the country were identified in the Romanian Register (4%) or in other international registers. For 9 out of 10 Romanian patients, the compatible donor was found in registers of European Union countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden), and for 23 patients, donors were identified in other registries (India, Israel, the United Kingdom and Turkey). In order to bring hematopoietic stem cells into the country, the Registry issued import permits and ensured their domestic and international transport, as appropriate.
Starting with 16th March 2020, when restrictions were imposed on limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, the Registry and transplant centres in Romania continued their activity and provided all services, with some limitations during the state of emergency.
‘In order to succeed in continuing the safe transplant activity for our patients, SRTM has developed, since March 2020, recommendations for the pandemic period, in accordance with international recommendations. Thus, it was possible to perform a number similar to previous years of allotransplants from unrelated donors, procedures considered treatment emergencies’, said Prof. Dr. Alina Tănase, President of SRTM.
‘Together with all partners, we have adapted on the go, we have changed working procedures, we have found solutions for the cross-border transport of hematopoietic stem cell grafts from compatible donors in other countries. Although there have been periods of disappointment and despair in the struggle with time that does not wait and does not stand still for patients, we have overcome them. We are glad that the experience of good collaboration in the fight against blood cancers was the key to the successful continuation of the transplant activity. Every transplant patient is a life earned! Every new donor registered in the Register is the life expectancy for patients who need a transplant’, said dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Manager, RNDVCSH.
Currently, the Registry coordinates the activities of the Ministry of Health program on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from unrelated donors and is the guarantor of the quality of services for donors, these special people whose generosity means hope and a chance at life for patients who do not have compatible family donor and are waiting for a transplant.
The success of the Romanian Registry is also about sustained effort and medical performance at European standards of the partners from donor centres and testing laboratories, from sampling centres and transplant centres, professional associations and associations of donors and patients.
In the vision of RNDVCSH, all patients in Romania, who need a hematopoietic stem cell transplant from an unrelated person, should perform this intervention in one of the transplant centres in the country. The mission of RNDVCSH is to identify and provide, at international standards, compatible, unrelated voluntary stem cell donors to all patients in Romania who need a hematopoietic stem cell transplant and for whom there are no related compatible voluntary donors.
In the 8 years of operation, more than 75,000 voluntary donors have registered in the Register. Two-thirds of donors registered in RNDVCSH are tested at least HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DRB1. The search base for potential donors compatible with patients who need a transplant is incomparably larger due to the interconnection with international registries in 54 countries (European Marrow Donor Information System – EMDIS and World Marrow Donor Association – Search & Match Service), the international database currently having 38 million voluntary CSH donors.
The share of the Romanian population registered in RNDVCSH is only 0.3%, a value well below the European Union average, which is 10 times higher (3% ).
To date, 26 CSH donors registered in RNDVCSH have donated hematopoietic stem cells to unrelated patients: 12 Romanian patients and 14 foreign patients.
As members of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplant (EBM), RNDVCSH together with the hematopoietic stem cell transplant centers in the country, ensures the quality and safety standards established at European level.
To inform the general population, especially people between 18 and 45 years old, about the transplantation and donation of hematopoietic stem cells, as well as to increase the awareness of the population about the cases that need CSH transplantation, RNDVCSH conducts together with partners the campaign to promote hematopoietic stem cell donation Donează o șansă la viață! (Donate a change at life!), a comprehensive national information campaign supported by the Ministry of Health.
Restrictive travel measures significantly affect information activities and campaigns to promote CSH donation and registration of new voluntary donors in RNDVCSH. The communication strategy for 2020 has been updated and adapted to the new situation. The activities took place online through the information site www.registru-celule-stem.ro and the Facebook page Registrucelulestem, as well as information and advice for those who wrote to us or called telverde 0800.88 STEM (7836).
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the main activities took place mainly in the online environment (radio campaign, Facebook campaign). RNDVCSH makes constant efforts to inform and raise public awareness about the importance of registration as potential donors, because each new donor can mean a chance at life for a patient.
Information on registering online in the Register can be found by accessing the link: https://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/implicate/
More information
Information and awareness program about voluntary hematopoietic stem cell donation carried out by the National Register of Donors in partnership with the Romanian Broadcasting Company
Bucharest, 3rd February 2021 – The National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors and the Romanian Broadcasting Society have entered into a partnership through which information on the donation system and how those in need can benefit from this help will reach more easily and promptly the patients who need hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Thus, the two institutions join forces in the effort to save human lives.
The partnership between the two institutions aims to run through radio channels programs aimed at informing and raising awareness among the Romanian population that voluntary donation of hematopoietic stem cells can save the lives of patients with blood cancer, such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma.
‘For many sick people, there is hope for healing by transplanting hematopoietic stem cells. The chances of a patient in Romania to find a compatible donor increase with the number of voluntary donors registered in the Romanian Register. That is why we try to make the general public aware of the importance of registration in the Register of hematopoietic stem cell donors and the impact of stem cell transplantation on the life of patients’, said dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Manager, National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
The Romanian Broadcasting Company, with the mission of communicating information that is relevant and of interest for all listeners, will publicise the campaign ‘Donează o șansă la viață!’ (Donate a chance at life!) through its stations Radio România Actualități, Radio România Cultural, Radio Romania 3 Net ‘Florian Pittiș’ and Rador Agency. Editorial materials will be made in order to convey the message of the campaign to the listening public, and finally the citizens to resonate by registering in the Register. The partnership between the National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors and the Romanian Broadcasting Society will take place between February and March 2021.
The campaign ‘Donează o șansă la viață!’ (Donate a chance at life!) is supported by the Ministry of Health within the national health program ‘Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from unrelated donor’.
The National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors became operational in April 2013, and in the 8 years of operation over 75,000 voluntary donors have registered in the Register.
The Romanian registry is interconnected with international registries from 54 countries, which means that patients with an indication for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from an unrelated donor also have access to potential international donors. The share of the Romanian population registered in the National Register of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors is only 0.3%, a value well below the European Union average, which is 10 times higher (3% ). The registry makes constant efforts to inform and raise public awareness about the importance of registration as potential donors, because each new donor can mean a chance at life for a patient.
In 2018, over 7,000 Romanian donors registered in the National Stem Cell Donor Registry, raising the total number of registered donors in Romania to 57,000. Since the establishment of the National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Registry in April 2013, 187 patients have received stem cell transplants from unrelated donors. However, only seven of those patients were able to find a compatible donor in Romania. Currently, 43 Romanian patients are still waiting for a matching donor.
Every three minutes, someone in the world is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Many of them can be cured through a stem cell transplant from a compatible donor. Unfortunately, fewer than 30% of patients have a compatible donor within their family. For the remaining 70%, the only hope lies in finding a compatible unrelated donor through stem cell donor registries.
World Marrow Donor Day was initiated by the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) and is celebrated internationally on the third Saturday of September each year. The aim of this day is to thank the millions of registered stem cell donors around the world and to highlight the global cooperation involved in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
The Romanian National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Registry marked World Marrow Donor Day during the 7th edition of the “Donate a Chance at Life!” campaign, joining registries in 55 other countries in celebrating this important event.
“Scientific advancements have made it possible to treat with stem cells and collect them from peripheral blood, as well as to identify compatibility between unrelated individuals. This is a tremendous leap forward in improving the chances of survival for patients with serious conditions. Now, it’s time for people to advance in compassion, support, and involvement. On Saturday, World Marrow Donor Day honored everyone who has chosen to register as a potential donor to save a life. What can we do to make things better? One answer is: be ready to donate stem cells to those in need,” stated Minister of Health, Dr. Sorina Pintea.
The National Registry is connected to the global network. The more registered donors there are, the greater the chances of finding a match for a patient in need. Registries from 55 countries collectively hold nearly 34 million potential donors. Each of them represents a chance at life for patients worldwide.
Despite having over 57,000 potential donors currently registered in Romania, the number is still too low to find matches for all Romanian patients in need. For one in two Romanians whose lives depend on an unrelated donor transplant, no compatible match exists in international registries. Increasing the number of registered donors in Romania will raise the chances of saving more patients suffering from blood cancer or other serious hematologic diseases.
Today, the Romanian National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Registry is launching its online registration campaign. Any healthy person between the ages of 18 and 45 can now register from home. An educational video available on www.registru-celule-stem.ro explains everything one needs to know to become a donor and to be prepared to give someone a second chance at life.
“For many patients, there is hope for healing through a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Thanks to scientific progress, this procedure is now a reality for thousands of people who are alive today because a stranger gave them a chance at life! Our goal is to reach 100,000 registered volunteers, which would increase the odds of finding a match to 75% for those in need. We are part of a global life-saving network, and we can all contribute to it. It’s a wonderful feeling, and we hope more Romanians will join us,” said Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of the Romanian National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donor Registry.
Since the first transplant in 1957, more than 1.2 million hematopoietic stem cell transplants have been performed worldwide.
In Romania, World Marrow Donor Day 2018 was celebrated through a series of awareness and donor promotion events as part of the “Donate a Chance at Life!” campaign, which took place in Bucharest and 15 other cities between September 13–16.
The “Donate a Chance at Life!” campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health under the national health program “Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation from Peripheral and Central Sources.”
More details about World Marrow Donor Day, the “Donate a Chance at Life!” campaign, and how to become a voluntary donor can be found at:
1 in 2 Romanian patients who rely on a hematopoietic stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor are unable to find a compatible match.
Expanding the National Registry could increase their chance of success by up to 50%.
Every 3 minutes, someone in the world is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Many of these patients can be cured through a stem cell transplant from a compatible donor.
However, less than 30% of patients find a suitable match within their family. For the remaining 70%, their only hope for survival is finding an unrelated compatible donor through national or international registries.
In Romania, patients are still waiting for such life-saving matches. Sadly, the odds are not in their favor: only 1 in 2 Romanian patients needing an unrelated stem cell transplant is able to find a donor through the National Registry.
Although the Registry has nearly 50,000 potential donors, this number is still too low to ensure a matching donor for every patient. If the Registry were to grow to 100,000 donors, the chances of finding a match would increase to 75%.
Why expanding the National Registry matters:
- A larger pool increases the likelihood of a match, especially among people of similar ethnic and geographical background.
- When a compatible donor is found within Romania, the waiting time is cut in half compared to sourcing a donor from abroad.
- Currently, only 1 in 10 Romanian patients finds their matching donor within the national registry.
The Romanian National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors is connected to registries in over 40 countries, with a combined pool of over 30 million potential donors.
“Each person enrolled in the National Registry is a hidden hero, a chance at life for a patient in need of a stem cell transplant. Growing the Registry by recruiting more Romanians from all regions of the country is vital for the half of patients who have no compatible donor anywhere in the world.
Registration does not mean you will donate — only 1 in 450 volunteers is found to be a match and goes on to donate,”— Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of the National Registry.
In 2018, more than 10,000 new donors were registered — a 15% increase in the local database.
Many of these new registrations were driven by the national campaign:
“Donate a Chance at Life: Be the Hidden Hero!”
This campaign took place in 15 cities across Romania: Arad, Bacău, Brezoi, Bucharest, Caracal, Cluj-Napoca, Galați, Iași, Oradea, Ploiești, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Slatina, Slobozia, Târgu Mureș, and Timișoara.
More details about the campaign and how to become a donor: www.registru-celule-stem.ro
Organizer: National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors
PR & Communication: Sănătatea Press Group – Your expert in medical communication
On Saturday, September 16, 2017, World Marrow Donor Day is celebrated internationally. The event, initiated by the World Marrow Donor Association, is a way to thank the millions of donors registered in hematopoietic stem cell donor registries worldwide.
This year in Romania, the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors marks the occasion with the 5th edition of the campaign “Donate a Chance at Life: Be the Hidden Hero!”, joining over 50 countries that celebrate this important day.
The event honors and expresses gratitude to donors around the world who have helped save hundreds of thousands of patients, including many in Romania.
Since the Registry became operational in April 2013, 144 Romanian patients have received hematopoietic stem cell transplants from unrelated donors, with 6 donors found within Romania.
“The major advantage of having a National Registry is its continuous connection with similar registries worldwide and the implementation of international standards and procedures.
For Romanian patients needing a transplant, this creates access to a global donor database.
Increasing the number of registered donors across all regions of Romania enhances the chances of saving more patients suffering from blood cancer or other serious hematological diseases.
Our main goal is to find matching donors for patients in need. The first step is raising awareness about the importance of registering as a potential donor.
Every Romanian donor matters — each one can change the fate of a sick patient anywhere in the world, just as a foreign donor may save a Romanian patient,”— Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of the National Registry.
Key statistics and insights:
- Over 70% of patients requiring stem cell transplantation need an unrelated compatible donor from international registries.
- More than 50,000 patients globally await a compatible unrelated donor each year.
- About 50% of patients find a fully matched donor abroad.
- Since the first stem cell transplant in 1957, over 1 million transplants have been performed globally, including both autologous (patient’s own cells) and allogeneic (donor cells) procedures.
World Marrow Donor Day was first celebrated in 2015 under the theme “25 million donors”. Since then, the global donor pool has surpassed 30 million people, giving hope to patients with leukemia, other blood cancers, autoimmune diseases, or inherited metabolic disorders.
2017 Awareness Events in Romania
In celebration of World Marrow Donor Day, the National Registry will host information and awareness activities as part of the campaign “Donate a Chance at Life”, in 15 Romanian cities:
Arad, Bacău, Brezoi, Bucharest, Caracal, Cluj-Napoca, Galați, Iași, Oradea, Ploiești, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Slatina, Slobozia, Târgu Mureș, and Timișoara.
In Bucharest, an awareness event will be held in Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park, highlighting the importance of registering as a voluntary stem cell donor for patients waiting for a transplant.
A press conference will also be held to present the latest data on the National Registry’s activity and the transplants it has facilitated, both for Romanian and international patients.
For more details about the “Donate a Chance at Life” campaign, visit:
The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health as part of the National Health Program for Peripheral and Central hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Awareness Campaign by the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors
#EroulDinUmbra #ThankYouDonor
Between September 9–17, 2017, under the message “Be the Hidden Hero”, the campaign “Donate a Chance at Life” will take place with the goal of raising awareness about hematopoietic stem cell donation and encouraging registration in the National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.
Organized in conjunction with World Marrow Donor Day on September 16, 2017, the campaign will unfold across 15 cities in Romania: Arad, Bacău, Brezoi, Bucharest, Caracal, Cluj-Napoca, Galați, Iași, Oradea, Ploiești, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Slatina, Slobozia, Târgu Mureș, and Timișoara.
Throughout these cities, public information activities will highlight what hematopoietic stem cell donation involves and promote registration in the National Registry, with the aim of increasing the number of potential donors.
Why It Matters
Only about 30% of patients with leukemia, lymphoma, aplastic anemia, or other serious blood disorders who need a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant find a compatible donor within their family.
For the remaining majority, finding an unrelated donor through international registries may be their only chance at survival.
For Romanian patients, expanding the National Registry means a higher chance of finding a match faster, reducing the time from donor identification to the actual transplant.
Be the Hidden Hero. Help Someone Live.
By registering as a voluntary hematopoietic stem cell donor, you could offer a patient a second chance at life!
“It’s crucial to understand that any one of us could help save a life!
We might not think that we ourselves could one day depend on a stem cell transplant — and that our survival may rely on the existence of a compatible donor found through the international registry network, of which the Romanian Registry is a part.
Be the Hidden Hero! Give a chance at life to those fighting for every moment.
With this campaign, we aim to provide more information about what it means to be a stem cell donor and just how important it is to register.”— Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director, National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors
Media Involvement & Awareness Events
Recognizing the essential role of the media in educating the public, a press conference will be held in Bucharest, ahead of World Marrow Donor Day. The event will present the latest updates from the National Registry and highlight its role in facilitating life-saving transplants.
In Bucharest, the campaign will take place in Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park (IOR Park), from September 9–17, 2017.
Daily between 16:00 PM – 22:00 PM, volunteers from the Registry will be available to explain:
- What it means to become a stem cell donor
- The eligibility criteria for registration
- How you can become a Hidden Hero
On World Marrow Donor Day – September 16, a special awareness event will be held in the park between 11:00 – 13:00 to emphasize the importance of voluntary (unrelated) donors for patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.
Join the Movement Online
To help amplify the campaign’s message, we invite public figures, media representatives, and all supporters to share the hashtags:
#EroulDinUmbra | #ThankYouDonor
along with www.registru-celule-stem.ro
By doing so, everyone can help spread the word and become a Hidden Hero!
Campaign Organizer:
National Registry of Voluntary Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors
Tel: +4021 201 8800
Fax: +4021 201 8828
Email: office@rndvcsh.ro
Websites: www.rndvcsh.ro | www.registru-celule-stem.ro
Campaign Partner:
Sănătatea Press Group – Your communication expert in the medical field
Enjoy a green workout and donate a chance at life!
28 August 2016, Băneasa forest, 09:00 hrs
All those passionate about sports and outdoor exercising are invited this Sunday, 28 August 2016, at 09:00 hrs, in Băneasa forest, to kick off the fourth series of the “Donate a chance at life!” campaign.
Organised by the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with MPG, a sport marketing agency, market leader for recreational sports addressed to amateur athletes, the campaign focuses on raising awareness about the importance of staying healthy and enjoying an active life style. The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and will include sports and recreational events, as well as information and awareness raising activities for healthy people aged 18 to 45 who can enlist as voluntary hematopoietic stem cell donors.
The campaign kickoff event is tied to the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon racing competition, organised by MPG in Băneasa forest and addressed to all those who enjoy exercising, now at its 4th edition. The organizer of the sports event has designed races for all levels, on different running courses ranging from 2.5 km to 21 km, setting the stage for a special fun-filled and dynamic time, so that all participants can enjoy a lovely experience in the open air.
Celebrating the World Marrow Donor Day on September 17th, the Minister of Health, Mr. Vlad Voiculescu, and the National Registry’s ambassadors will spread the word and share thank-you messages to all donors.
“Each of us can be the chance at life for a blood cancer patient waiting for a compatible healthy donor. This is a race against time for patients with such serious diseases whose only wish is that time stood still long enough for a voluntary donor, a ‘brother in blood’, to donate and be their chance at a cure. We thank all donors who made it possible to pay life forward!”, said dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, NRHSCVD Manager.
The races for kids aged 6 to 11, scheduled in the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, will be dedicated to promoting the World Marrow Donor Day. At the race start, family members are invited to join the kids who entered the competition and to run in support of the “Donate a chance at life!” campaign. Kids’ participation to the event will be free of charge for up to 250 persons, and registration can be done online by the end of Wednesday, August 24th, on the competition webpage available on the RUNFEST platform: www.runfest.ro. Parents have to open an account for them on the RUNFEST online platform and enter the kids in the competition, and kids will be able to receive cool race kits prior to the competition. After having enjoyed the freedom of green exercising on the 2.5 km course designed for them, all children will be rewarded with medals at the end of the races. Also, their parents will receive t-shirts with the World Marrow Donor Day logo. All information on the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, the races, benefits, services and the awards for winners can be found on the competition webpage available on the www.runfest.ro online platform.
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The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) is a public institution under the Ministry of Health whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor. An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive data base of hematopoietic stem cell voluntary donors, as well as of the patients in need of a transplant.
For more about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro .
If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800 88 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access www.registru-celule-stem.ro or contact one of our 21 stem cell donor centres.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save someone’s life!
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RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon
28 August 2016, Băneasa forest
Event schedule:
• 07.30: Pick up race kits for race entries (KIDS RACES, 6-11 years old, other races, +12 years old). Registering of KIDS RACES supporters
• 08.30: Closing of race kit pick-up for kids
• 09.00: Start of kids race on the 2.5 Km KIDS course
• 09.45: Award ceremony for kids
• 10.00: Closing of race kit pick-up for all event entries
• 10.00: Warm-up session held by a sports coach
• 10.15: Technical briefing
• 10.30: Start of race on the following running courses: Short course – 5 Km, Standard course – 10 Km and Epic course – 21 Km
• 13.30: Deadline for completing the running course
• 14.00: Award ceremony for competitors on the Short, Standard and Epic courses
The Start/Finish area of the RUNFEST event – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon will be set up in the proximity of Băneasa forest, on Privighetorilor Avenue, in front of Bucharest Police Academy. Access is available via private car or public transportation (bus 301).
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For more about the DONATE A CHANCE AT LIFE campaign, please contact:
Ms. Aurora Dragomirişteanu
NRHSCVD General Manager[M] +40 722 751 147[F] +40 21 201 8800[E] aurora.dragomiristeanu@rndvcsh.ro[E] office@rndvcsh.ro[W] www.registru-celule-stem.ro
For more about RUNFEST, please contact:
Ms. Elena Vavilov
MPG PR Manager[M] +40 725 546 271[P] +40 31 805 4042[F] +40 31 805 2697[E] elena.vavilov@mpg.com.ro[E] media@mpg.com.ro[W] www.mpg.com.ro
900 runners enjoyed a green workout
at the RUNFEST – FOX TRAIL Half Marathon
More than 1,200 people, competitors and supporters, made the most of the last summer Sunday by taking part in the Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, a RUNFEST competition, sponsored by official partner Barilla and presented by Persil, organized in Băneasa forest. The passion for open-air/green exercising was certainly well proven on the 28th of August, as we were glad to see hundreds of wide smiles both at the race start and after the finish line.
Nearly 900 racers were ready to start the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, and the day was full of energy, sport, as well as surprises and a great deal of fun. Kids, teens and adults ran on race courses that were customized for their respective level on the cool paths of Băneasa forest, the running competition summing up a total of 32 races on distances ranging between 2.5 and 21 kilometres.
MPG, the RUNFEST coordinator, aims to encourage exercising early in life and to raise the awareness of as many people as possible as to the benefits of running amidst nature, therefore kids aged 6 to 11 had the opportunity to participate in the competition free of charge. Competitors present at the event included members of several sports clubs in the country, who train for national and international competitions, but also people with a passion for running who came from England, Serbia, Italy and Belgium.
The fastest racers were rewarded with generous prizes, a total of 96 competitors walking up the podiums of the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon, sponsored by Barilla (official partner) and presented by Persil. Race results are available online on the event webpage of www.runfest.ro or directly by clicking here. Prizes were awarded thanks to the following sponsors: World Class, Nomasvello, Running Warehouse Europe, Herbalife, GoldNutrition, Ice Power and Isostar. In addition, competitors received champagne bottles (adults only), award medals and diplomas.
The 4th edition of the competition in Băneasa was also attended by RUNFEST ambassadors and we thank them for their participation and for supporting the concept of green exercising and healthy life style: Gabriela Szabo, multiple Olympic and world champion, coach emeritus Zsolt Gyongyossy, Călin Novăcescu, fitness coach and martial arts instructor, and Sorin Chineaţă, a young engineer, blogger and sports fan.
The participants’ joy was captured in thousands of photos that will be posted on the RUNFEST Facebook page.
The competition was an opportunity for RUNFEST – www.runfest.ro – to announce its support for the ”Donate a chance at life!” campaign, organised by the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with MPG. The campaign focuses on raising awareness about the importance of staying healthy and enjoying an active life style, and aims to inform and raise awareness among healthy people aged 18 to 45 with regard to hematopoietic stem cell donation.
The races for kids that were organized in the RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon were dedicated to promoting the World Marrow Donor Day (September 17th). At the start line, parents or relatives were given the opportunity to join the kids and run behind them on the dedicated course, as a way of showing support for the “Donate a chance at life!” campaign. Olympic and world champion Gabriela Szabo also supports the campaign efforts, acting as ambassador and sending a message to all amateur athletes about the importance of helping those with life-threatening health problems and becoming hematopoietic stem cell donors.
Barilla was the official partner of RUNFEST – Bucharest FOX TRAIL Half Marathon and the event was presented by Persil. Official sponsors included Isostar, Herbalife, World Class, Wim Bosman, event sponsors were Carrefour, iNES Group, Ciuc Natur Radler, GoldNutrition, Health Advisors, Nomasvello, Ice Power, Gustare Nevinovată and Toortitzi. Event partners: Bucharest Directorate for Youth and Sports (Ministry of Youth and Sports), Urban, ProENERG, Asociația Salvatorilor Voluntari pentru Situații de Urgență (Rescue Volunteers in Emergency Situations Association), Brigada de Voluntari (Volunteer Brigade), „ZSOLT GYONGYOSSY, education through sport” Sports Club Association and Romsilva.
We communicate and inform you with the constant help of Kiss FM, number 1 radio station in Romania and RUNFEST official media partner, together with eJobs, recruitment partner and national online recruitment champion, jointly with Inga Media and Libertatea, main media partners, as well as the following media partners: Comunicatedepresa.ro, Asociația Ro Club Maraton, Biciclistul, Alerg.ro magazine, Orasulm.eu, Running Mag, IReporter, 4RUN, Edu-news, România Pozitivă, Sportlocal.ro, Sportpici, Insport, SportsPlanner, blogs 188bmp.com, Chineata.ro, Carmenalbisteanu.ro, 6pack.ro, 36fit.com, BikeFm.ro, and Kooperativa 2.0 bloggers’ agency.
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About MPG:
MPG implements the sports projects initiated by PROAM Events Foundation, promoting recreational sport activities as a great way of spending spare time and maintaining health. MPG is market leader for sport events addressed to amateur athletes, counting 19 years of experience in the field. The agency coordinates around 750 sport events in 70 cities all throughout the year. Under the umbrella of Sportainment, MPG implements 4 national sport systems that form communities of more than 80,000 amateur athletes: tennis – www.tenispartener.ro, www.tenis10.ro, cycling – www.ridersclub.ro, running – www.runfest.ro and a competition system for 10 sports, in Bucharest, used by more than 200 companies – Romanian Corporate Sports – www.corporatesports.ro. Their project for kids called Tenis10 – www.tenis10.ro – was nominated as finalist in the European CSR Awards 2013. MPG also created and developed a special format project, the URBATLON obstacle race which, starting this year, was integrated in the www.runfest.ro platform. Over the last 9 years, MPG implemented more than 4,000 sport events and launched communication campaigns together with specialized media. For more on MPG, please visit www.mpg.com.ro.
About NRHSCVD:
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) is a public institution under the Ministry of Health whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor. An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive data base of hematopoietic stem cell voluntary donors, as well as of the patients in need of a transplant. The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save someone’s life! For more about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro. If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800 88 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access www.registru-celule-stem.ro or contact one of our 21 stem cell donor centres.
The caravan through Bucharest universities will start on 4 December 2014 up until the end of March 2015. Its first stop is at the Faculty of Letters, Bucharest University, on 5-7 Edgar Quinet Str., sector 1.
A medical and promoting team will be there on Thursday, 4 December, between 14:00 and 18:00, in the Bălcescu Lecture Hall (first floor, right wing) to distribute information materials and provide counseling to all students who wish to register as volunteer donors of hematopoietic stem cells. The caravan aims to raise awareness among students with regard to the hematopoietic stem cell donation and increase the number of student donors.
An information booth is to be set up in the Marble Hall of the Faculty of Letters, available throughout the campaign.
The “Donate a chance at life!” campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by the NRHSCVD. The caravan through universities is a joint project that includes Bucharest BTC and partner universities (the University of Bucharest and “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest). The campaign is open to volunteers and partner nongovernmental organizations interested in cooperating with us, all invited to join our cause.
Who can register as a donor and how!
All healthy people aged 18 to 45 can sign up and join our mission to save as many lives as possible. After a full briefing on the what and how of stem cell donation and after signing a consent form agreeing to become a hematopoietic stem cell donor, interested candidates will fill in a medical questionnaire and have a blood sample taken for tests and to determine their HLA profile, according to the law in force. Once this is done, the person listed with the Registry becomes a member of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and it provides a new chance at life.
About NRHSCVD
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) is an institution responsible for coordinating and overseeing the activities related to recruitment, testing and hematopoietic stem cell donation from unrelated donors, in accordance with the standards of the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA).
An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a data base of people who agreed to donate hematopoietic stem cells. Such data base is secure, in compliance with all current standards, and provides restricted access to data. Only authorized Registry personnel can access this data base.
The benefit of having a National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors is that, once accredited by the World Marrow Donor Association, the registry is in permanent contact with similar registries worldwide which can support its searches for stem cell products, while providing a much bigger pool of potential donors.
About the Faculty of Letters
With 150 years of academic history and prestige, the Faculty of Letters is known today for being one of the most comprehensive, modern and dynamic higher education institutions in Romania that provides several annual academic programs in specific fields of study. The Faculty building, valued for its architectural worth, often hosts cultural, education or information events, creating a framework for dialogue and exchange of ideas between alumni and experts in professional areas.
Our caravan through the parks of Bucharest continues! The mobile donation centre, medical teams and volunteers will be present in Herăstrău Park today as well, regardless of the weather conditions. Tomorrow, on the 24th of September, you’ll still find us in Herăstrău Park, in the public parking lot across Pavilion H, after which we’ll move to Cișmigiu Park – main entrance, across the City Hall, during 25-26 September, and then to the Children’s Land Park – main path, during 27-28 September.
A medical unit for information and enlisting will also be available for three days in the Bucharest Old Town area, at the Merci Charity Boutique tea house (on 13 Smârdan Str. across the National Bank of Romania), according to the following schedule:
Thu 25 September 14:00-22:00
Sat 27 September 14:00-22:00
Sun 28 September 14:00-22:00
We invite you all to join us and volunteer for the campaign that promotes stem cell donating and registering with the NRHSCVD. By enlisting with the Registry of Stem Cell Donors, any person aged 18 to 45 could save the life of a patient with leukaemia or other serious conditions whose only cure is a stem cell transplant from a compatible donor. It is an amazing opportunity – the simple act of registering will strengthen the Romanian Registry and save more lives.
How can you support our Campaign?
Share information about the campaign events with your friends and give a “like” to our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/rndvcsh www.facebook.com/rndvcsh
Help with the NRHSCVD registering of people in your community.
Participate in the information-education sessions addressed to high schools pupils (aged 16-18)
Donate money to the Association for the Registry of Stem Cell Donors (ARSCD) in support of its projects, via donations or sponsorships:
direct 2% of your income tax to ARSCD (based on the 230 and 200 forms);
direct 20% of the corporate income tax owed to the State budget, to ARSCD (based on a sponsorship contract);
transfer the money into the ARSCD account RO72RNCB0067142282350001 opened at BCR, Dr.Felix Branch, Sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
For more information about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website http://www.registru-celule-stem.ro ; www.registru-celule-stem.ro or our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/rndvcsh ; www.facebook.com/rndvcsh . If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800.88.STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, or contact one of our 18 centres of stem cell donors.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
The campaign aims to raise awareness among people aged 18 to 45, encouraging their enlisting as volunteer donors of hematopoietic stem cells.
This year, we hope the community of registry listed volunteer donors increases its count to more than 20,000 people, which means more chances at life for Romanian patients unable to find compatible donors.
A year ago, prior to launching the “Donate a chance at life!” campaign to promote the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, only 2,202 people showed interest in becoming hematopoietic stem cell donors, but in the meantime, the number of donors listed with NRHSCVD grew from one month to another, currently reaching 14,295 people, of whom 7,198 registered this year. For now, the Romanian Registry is still small compared to most European registries which count between 100,000 and 500,000 active donors on average.
This year’s caravan can be found in four parks of Bucharest, every day between 14.00-22.00hrs, according to the following schedule: 19-21 September, Carol Park – Zodiac Fountain; 22-24 September Herăstrău Park – Pavilion H; 25-26 September, Cișmigiu Park – main entrance, across the City Hall; and 27-28 September, Children’s Land Park – main path. The “mobile donation centre”, a medically-equipped bus, will be available in all these locations. Teams of doctors and nurses will be there to provide related information to anyone who is interested, as well as free of charge tests for blood type, Rh status, blood sugar, and blood pressure and pulse rate measurements.
The campaign is organized by the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors together with the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Centre. More than 50 volunteers of the Association for the Registry of Stem Cell Donors joined the initiative and provided their support in promoting this event.
About NRHSCVD
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors is a public institution under the Ministry of Health whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor.
As of April 2013, when NRHSCVD became operational, transplantations from a compatible unrelated donor became possible in Romania as well.
To date, in the three transplant centres available in the country, 30 unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantations were performed (17 last years and 13 this year, of which two from a national donor), compatible donors were identified for 24 people and the corresponding transplantation procedures are to be performed by the end of the year, while another 5 patients are waiting for the compatibility confirmation test results. 14 of the 43 patients on a transplant waiting list find themselves in this difficult situation. Their chances of being cured depend on finding a compatible donor in Romania. The NRHSCVD challenge is the ethnic diversity of the available donor population and improving the HLA typing resolution for Romanian donors.
For more information about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro or Facebook page www.facebook.com/rndvcsh . If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800.88.STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, or contact one of our 18 centres of stem cell donors.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
In June 2013, the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors officially launched “Donate a chance at life” – its communication campaign for promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells.
The campaign was supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with the NRHSCVD-coordinated medical units for recruiting and testing hematopoietic stem cells donors, partner nongovernmental organizations (Bucharest Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations and the “Smile for Romania” Association in Târgoviște), as well as more than 50 volunteers who joined the initiative.
The volunteers involved in this project went on an awareness raising caravan across the country and it didn’t take long until the results started to show. Last year alone, 7,094 people registered with the NRHSCVD, and 21 transplantations were performed.
“It is an award that honours us and encourages us to increase our efforts to undertake these awareness raising campaigns among the general population. We are grateful to all the volunteers who engaged in this project and to the media outlets, for their support in reaching out to people and making them aware of how easily they could offer a chance at life to those who desperately need it. Currently, the Registry counts 13,236 voluntary donors, still too few to identify compatible donors for all the patients in need of a transplant.
We hope this year the community of registered voluntary donors comes to count more than 20,000 people, which would mean more chances at life for Romanian patients for whom we are unable to find compatible international donors. 19 of the 41 patients on a transplant waiting list find themselves in this difficult situation. Their chances of being cured depend on finding a compatible donor in Romania. If the Registry had 100,000 registered donors, it could provide a national source of cure at a considerably lower cost than the international one”, stated Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors.
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors is a public institution under the Ministry of Health whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor. An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a data base of individuals who agreed to donate hematopoietic stem cells.
For more information about the campaign and how you can become a stem cell donor, please visit our website http://www.registru-celule-stem.ro/
If you are interested in becoming a donor, call 0800 88 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro or contact one of our 18 centres of stem cell donors. The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
Aurora Dragomirişteanu
NRHSCVD General Director
A larger number of donors means that more than 90 per cent of the patients diagnosed with leukemia in Romania will stand a higher chance at surviving. Concurrently with the campaign kick-off, the Community of Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in Romania will be officially recognized by the management of the Regional Institute of Oncology in Iași as being the first community of this kind in Romania. The event will be attended by Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors. “At present, our Registry counts almost 10,000 listed donors, a number which we hope to more than double this year.
There are patients for whom we are unable to find international compatible donors, so their chance for a cure depends on our identifying a national compatible donor, but for the time being, the Romanian Registry is too small to cover all requests. To date, 22 hematopoietic stem cell transplantation procedures have been performed, of which 20 involved an international donor. Currently, we have 10 patients for whom we haven’t been able to find compatible donors yet”, said Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors.
The volunteers of the Community of Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in Romania, together with the medical staff of the Iași Centre of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors, will organize several awareness raising campaigns encouraging the youth to register with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors. In March, we have scheduled caravans for promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells and registering donors with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors.
A medical team is prepared to go to the head offices of various institutions to provide information and take blood samples. “I strongly believe that people will want to get involved and help those who have nothing left but hope. All volunteer donors have to do is get informed, check their health status by contacting our national centres which perform blood tests and then just help. We can be powerful only if we join forces. Together, we Donate Hope”, said Ms. Iulia Nănescu, founder of the Community of Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in Romania.
To date, 2,994 people have registered with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors. Of these, more than 300 people registered as donors during the 9 days of caravanning through the parks of Bucharest.
In the last month, more than 400 people contacted us via our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro and were scheduled for an appointment with one of our 18 centres of hematopoietic stem cell donors. Of those who showed interest in becoming a donor, more than 30 are from Constanța county. 25 patients are waiting for a compatible donor.
The Mobile Donation Centre – a medically-equipped bus – will be available in three locations of Constanța county. For four days, the caravan will be present in the seaside resorts of 2 Mai, Mangalia and Constanța, open to anyone who is interested in finding out more about stem cell donation or in becoming a donor.
The mobile donation centre provides people wishing to register as donors the possibility to get tested on the spot, free of charge, and to find out what is their blood type or Rh status. The results of tests for blood-transmitted infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, will be sent via snail mail or e-mail.
Campaign banners and an advertising tent providing information on stem cell donation will be set up in the area where the Mobile Donation Centre is in place. Also, those who wish to have their blood pressure or pulse rate measured or to have their blood sugar levels checked, will be able to do so free of charge. The event is promoted by groups of volunteers, under NRHSCVD coordination.
The “Donate a chance at life!” caravan can be found every day, between 14.00 and 22.00hrs, in the following locations:
15 August: 2 Mai – in front of the Limanu Town Hall building
16 August: Mangalia – in the old town at the Culture House of Mangalia Municipality
17-18 August: Constanța – at the entrance to the Tomis marina
For more information about the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, you can call 080 088 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro and Facebook page registru-celule-stem , contact the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors or one of the 18 centres of stem cell donors.
This year, with the help of the Registry of Stem Cell Donors, 7 patients in need of a transplant who couldn’t find related compatible donors underwent successful transplantation procedures performed in the three national transplant centres: the Fundeni Clinical Institute (3 patients), the “Louis Țurcanu Emergency Hospital for Children” in Timișoara (2 patients) and the County Clinical Emergency Hospital in Târgu Mureș (2 patients). All seven patients were helped by international donors from Germany, Poland and Belgium.
25 patients are waiting for the identification of a compatible donor in view of transplantation. Seven patients who already have a confirmed compatible donor are scheduled for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation the following month.
As part of the “Donate a chance at life!” awareness raising campaign, the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in partnership with the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Centre and the Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations initiated a series of events promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, organized in three parks of Bucharest and three locations of Constanța county.
The “Donate a chance at life!” campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by NRHSCVD together with the NRHSCVD-coordinated medical units for recruiting and testing hematopoietic stem cells donors, as well as with several volunteers and partner nongovernmental organizations (Bucharest Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations, “Give Life” Association, “A smile for Romania” Association, the Romanian Society of Haematology).
On behalf of all patients waiting for a chance at life,
the NRHSCVD and Bucharest BTC teams thank all
those who joined their efforts and whose deeply
humanitarian act may save a life!
For additional information, please contact us at:
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors
Dr. Aurora Dragomirişteanu, General Director of NRHSCVD
E-mail: aurora.dragomiristeanu@rndvcsh.ro
Mobile: 0722.751.147
Telephone: 021.201.8810.
• 25 patients are waiting for a compatible donor
• Those interested in registering as a donor, can be tested on the spot in the “Mobile donation centre” set up in Tineretului (Youth) Park
One week into the “Donate a chance at life” caravan campaign organized in the Herăstrău and Alexandru Ioan Cuza parks of Bucharest, 199 people registered with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) via the caravan’s mobile donation centre. The event was promoted with the aid of more than 20 volunteers who crossed the two large parks on bikes, roller blades or on foot.
For those of you who want to know more about the stem cell donation or to become donors, the mobile caravan will be available over the next two days in Tineretului park, at the Șincai entrance, during 2 and 3 August 2013, between 11.00 and 20.00hrs.
The mobile donation centre provides people wishing to register as donors the possibility to get tested on the spot, free of charge, and to find out what is their blood type or Rh status. The results of tests for blood-transmitted infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis, will be sent via snail mail or e-mail.
Advertising and first aid tents will be in place, providing information on stem cell donation, as well as the possibility to have one’s blood pressure or pulse rate measured or their blood sugar levels checked, free of charge.
At 11.00 and 17.00hrs, the volunteers of the Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations will hold a series of demo sessions on “Managing accidents” and “Basic first aid”.
On behalf of all patients waiting for a chance at life,
the NRHSCVD and Bucharest BTC teams thank all
those who joined their efforts and whose deeply humanitarian act may save a life!
This year, with the help of the Registry of Stem Cell Donors, 6 patients in need of a transplant who couldn’t find related compatible donors underwent successful transplantation procedures performed in the three national transplant centres: the Fundeni Clinical Institute (3 patients), the “Louis Țurcanu Emergency Hospital for Children” in Timișoara (2 patients) and the County Clinical Emergency Hospital in Târgu Mureș (1 patient today). All six patients were helped by international donors from Germany, Poland and Belgium.
25 patients are waiting for the identification of a compatible donor in view of transplantation. Seven patients who already have a confirmed compatible donor are scheduled for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation the following month.
As part of the “Donate a chance at life!” awareness raising campaign, the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors in partnership with the Bucharest Blood Transfusion Centre and the Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations initiated a series of events promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells. On 27 July, these will be organized in three parks of Bucharest.
For more information about the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, you can call 080 088 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro and Facebook page registru-celule-stem , contact the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors or one of the 18 centres of stem cell donors.
For details, please contact Dr. Aurora Dragomirişteanu, General Director of the NRSCVD, via E-mail at aurora.dragomiristeanu@rndvcsh.ro , Telephone at: +4021-201-8810 or Fax at: +4021-201-8828.
To date, 5 lives were saved as a result of unrelated donor stem cell transplantation procedures performed in national health units. 7 patients with already confirmed compatible donors are scheduled for transplantation in the following days. 14 patients in need of a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, who couldn’t find a related compatible donor, are waiting for a chance at life!
The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with the NRHSCVD-coordinated medical units for recruiting and testing hematopoietic stem cells donors, as well as with several volunteers and partner nongovernmental organizations (Bucharest Association of Volunteer Lifesavers for Emergency Situations, “Give Life” Association, “A smile for Romania” Association, the Romanian Society of Haematology).
The NRHSCVD vision is to have all national patients in need of a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from an unrelated donor undergo the procedure in one of the country’s own transplant centres.
If a national patient needs hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and fails to find related compatible donors, the Registry tries to identify compatible donors. These patients’ lives depend on an efficient and accountable delivery of hematopoietic stem cells from a compatible donor. The “Donate a chance at life!” campaign is designed to increase public and professional awareness of hematopoietic stem cell donation as a way of helping patients.
“Starting 6 June 2013 when the campaign was launched, more than 100 people registered every week with the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors” – Dr. Aurora Dragomirișteanu, General Director of NRHSCVD
Who can register as a donor and how!
All healthy people aged 18 to 45 can sign up as voluntary donors of hematopoietic stem cells. After a full briefing on the what and how of stem cell donation and after signing a consent form agreeing to become a hematopoietic stem cell donor, interested candidates will fill in a medical questionnaire and have a blood sample taken for tests and to determine their HLA profile, according to the law in force. Once registered with the NRHSCVD, the person becomes a member of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors
Where and when?
The events will take place during 27 July – 3 August 2013, every day from 10.00 to 18.00hrs, in the following locations:
Herăstrău Park – Charles de Gaulle entrance:
Sat 27 July 2013
Mon 31 July 2013
Wed 31 July 2013
Al. I. Cuza (IOR) Park – parking area on Liviu Rebreanu Bd.
Sun 28 July 2013
Tue 30 July 2013
Thu 1 August 2013
Tineretului Park – Șincai entrance
Fri 2 August 2013
Sat 3 August 2013
At all the above-mentioned locations, you will find the “Mobile donation centre” provided with the medical equipment required for blood testing of persons interested in becoming donors, advertising and first aid tents offering information about the donation of stem cells, a series of demo sessions on “Managing accidents” and “Basic first aid”, as well as the possibility to have one’s blood pressure or pulse rate measured or their blood sugar levels checked, free of charge.
The event will be promoted with the aid of volunteer groups who will criss-cross the parks on bikes, roller blades or on foot.
As part of the National Emergency Network of Romanian Amateur Radio Operators, AVLES amateur radio operators will set up a mobile transmitter-receiver station for radio exchanges in Bucharest and the rest of the country promoting the event.
For more information about the donation of hematopoietic stem cells, you can call 080 088 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro and Facebook page registru-celule-stem , contact the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors or one of the 18 centres of stem cell donors.
The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
Today, 6 June 2013, the head office of the Ministry of Health hosted the official launch of “Donate a chance at life” awareness raising campaign for promoting the donation of hematopoietic stem cells.
The campaign is supported by the Ministry of Health and organized by National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) together with all the NRHSCVD-coordinated medical units for recruiting and testing hematopoietic stem cells donors.
Why the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors
The National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors (NRHSCVD) is a public institution established under the Ministry of Health according to Government Decision no. 760/2009, whose mission, undertaken at international standards, is to identify and ensure that compatible unrelated donors of hematopoietic stem cells are available for all patients in Romania who need a transplant and lack a compatible related donor.
An NRHSCVD core activity is the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive data base of individuals who agreed to donate hematopoietic stem cells, as well as of patients in need of a transplant. This data base is secure, in compliance with all current related international standards, and facilitates the processing of requests for hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) donation and supply, both in Romania and abroad.
How to donate
If a national patient needs hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and fails to find related compatible donors, the Registry tries to identify compatible donors. However, the Registry can only do its job if there are people willing to help those in need. This is why, the NRHSCVD aims to raise awareness about the act of stem cell donation among healthy people aged 18 to 45 who can register to become voluntary donors of hematopoietic stem cells.
The members of the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors can donate until the age of 60, but registration with the NRHSCVD does not automatically imply a donation of hematopoietic stem cells.
Those who are interested in becoming donors can call 080 088 STEM (7836), a free of charge telephone number available in the Romtelecom network, or access our website www.registru-celule-stem.ro. The donation of hematopoietic stem cells is voluntary, anonymous and unpaid. By donating hematopoietic stem cells, you can save a life!
For more information about the hematopoietic stem cell donation, please contact the National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors or one of the 18 centres of stem cell donors.
Registry beneficiaries
With the aid of the Registry, Romanian children and adults diagnosed with leukemia or other serious diseases of the blood tissue or immune system have a chance to find donors faster and easier. Moreover, they no longer have to leave the country for the unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation procedure, like they used to, they can now use the services of one of the transplant centres in Romania.
“The benefit of having a National Registry of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Voluntary Donors is that it is in permanent contact with similar Registries worldwide, with which it shares working standards and procedures, while providing access to a much bigger pool of potential compatible donors for the patients in need of a transplant”, said Dr. Aurora Dragomirişteanu, Director of NRHSCVD.
The NRHSCVD enjoys international recognition in the field and operates in accordance with the international standards established by the World Marrow Donor Association. As a result, it meets the criteria for interconnecting with the International Donor Registries (European Marrow Donor Information System– EMDIS and Europdonor – Bone Marrow Donors Worlwide). As members of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the Romanian Registry, together with the national hematopoietic stem cell transplant centres, ensures the quality and security standards set at European level.
To date, more than 22 million voluntary donors of hematopoietic stem cells are listed with international registries worldwide. Since a compatible donor is more likely to be identified in the same population or geographical area as the patient, most countries in the world created their own registries of hematopoietic stem cell voluntary donors.
“The Registry helps shorten the waiting period, particularly for those patients caught in a race against time due to a specific health condition or disease… Such diseases are not easily manageable and patients shouldn’t have to wait for more than two months to find a donor”, said Adrian Pană, State Secretary, the Ministry of Health.
