Background
The initiative to establish the SABMR was taken by Professor Ernette du Toit and Professor Peter Jacobs in 1991. In the same year, it was approved as a member of the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) and designated as an internationally recognized registry. The SABMR is the only bone marrow registry in South Africa and on the African continent.
The SABMR currently has over 65,000 South African donors in its database and has access to over 19 million donors worldwide through its international association with the World Marrow Donor Association. Over 75% of successfully transplanted South African patients have received unrelated donor transplants from international donors.
The SABMR is governed by a dedicated board of specialist medical professionals and community leaders. It is a registered Non-Profit Organisation and Section 18A Public Benefit Organisation.
