SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan is urging more young people in Derry and throughout the North to become ‘potential lifesavers’ by signing up to the UK stem cell donor registry.
Mr Durkan is making the plea after attending a Westminster event supported by the charity Anthony Nolan to help in the fight against blood cancer.
The charity has revealed that in the last year, over 133,000 people signed up to the UK’s stem cell donor registry to become potential donors.
Young, male donors – the ‘gold standard’ donors preferred by transplant centres – were up by 15 per cent.
But Anthony Nolan stresses that there is always more work to do. The more people that are on the register, the more lives can be saved.
In particular, more people from ethnic minorities are being encouraged to join the register as they are still under-represented.
Currently, 69 per cent of patients with white Northern European genetic heritage receive the best possible match, and this drops dramatically to 20.5 per cent if you’re from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background.
Mr Durkan, a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Stem Cell Transplantation, said: “I am delighted that so many young people have signed up to the stem cell registry in the last year.
“However, there is clearly much more to do to diversify the register to ensure that every single person in need is able to find a lifesaving match, regardless of their genetic heritage.
“I therefore hope that more young people will also be inspired to sign up and become potential lifesavers.”
There are a number of ways that you can sign up to the UK’s stem cell donor registry.
You can find out more information about the criteria and how to sign up at www.appg-stemcell.org.uk/signup
