By Chioma Obinna

Worried about the huge challenge of convincing Nigerians to become bone marrow donors, a Pan African bone marrow and cord blood donor recruitment group, ARA is targeting 30,000 Nigerians and other Africans as bone marrow donors by 2018. Speaking at maiden edition of the bone marrow drive/launch of the Foundation in Lagos, the Founder, ARA, Ronke Babalakin said the goal is to provide the logistics and infrastructure necessary to ensure the seamless recruitment of bone marrow donors in cities all over Africa including Nigeria.

Bone marrow transplants can be used to treat patients with life threatening blood cancers including leukemia and lymphoma which are on the rise in Africa.

Similarly, diseases which result in bone marrow failure like aplastic anaemia; other immune system or genetic diseases including sickle cell disorder, can be cured using bone marrow transplant.

Data shows that cancer will become more prevalent in Africa and until we find a proper care for cancer, people who have lymphoma and blood cancers do not have a chance to survive.

Babalakin said the bone marrow drive has become necessary as it is estimated that by 2015, Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will have the highest people with sickle cell anaemia.

However, in spite of the benefits of bone marrow transplant, Babalakin lamented that getting a match for people of African descent is a problem. Basically, there are two bone marrow transplant registries in Africa – the Nigeria Bone Marrow Registry and the South African Bone Marrow Registry, both of which  are internationally accredited. “The total number of donors on both registries is 68,222. Out of these, only 4,212 are of African descent and only 347 are Nigerians.

According to Babalakin, for people of African descent who require healthy bone marrow to survive a health condition, it is difficult to get a match. While the likelihood of white individual finding a match is 75 per cent, that of a black individual is 19 per cent, she added.

“Ethinc heritage is an important factor in bone marrow donation because patients are more likely to match with someone of a similar genetic background.

“Our aim is to increase the number of donors of African descent to help ensure that African patients find a live-saving match,” she added.

The limited number of existing donors of the African race limits chances of other Africans with health conditions requiring transplant, getting a match.

To address the problem, Delete Blood Cancer, a Bone Marrow Registry, also known as DKMS provided ARA an grant of $200,000 to embark on the recruitment to make more donors available. The Foundation has so far raised $6,400 dollars.

Majority of those eligible to become donors aged between 18 and 45 years, backoff due to religious and traditional beliefs, hence blocking opportunities to save millions in need of healthy bone marrow.

However, Babalakin said the Foundation is providing necessary information to convince more Nigerians to donate as well as join the recruitment of more donors. Part of the eligibility includes: not already registered as a bone marrow donor elsewhere, willingness to donate to any patient in need; and being in good health.

Part of the regulation to ensure the safety of donors is that they should donate twice only in their lifetime.

Babalakin was motivated following  death of some friends  from blood cancers after failing to find a match. By June 2014, she recognised the magnitude of the  problem and decided to go into the recruitment drive.