Every year, the third Saturday of September marks World Marrow Donor Day (WMDD), a global observance dedicated to honoring the selfless individuals who donate hematopoietic stem cells to save lives. In 2025, the celebration on September 20 will carry the theme "HOPE HERO," recognizing every donor as a hero who has offered a second chance at life to patients battling blood diseases.
This year, the second WMDA (World Marrow Donor Association) Asia-Pacific Conference convened in Hong Kong on September 15, bringing together experts from various countries and regions, including Australia, India, Singapore, Korea, Japan, China (China Marrow Donor Program and Sunshine Marrow Donor Program), and Taiwan. The conference served as a vital platform for sharing the latest research, practical experiences, challenges, and opportunities in hematopoietic stem cell donation.
Taiwan's Innovative Approach
Among the presentations, Kuo-Liang Yang (楊國梁), Director of the Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center, and team leader Chu-Yu Chang (張筑聿) were invited to share Taiwan's unique experience. They detailed how the center leverages education, innovative teaching materials, and a robust volunteer system to address contemporary challenges such as declining birth rates, an aging donor pool, and decreasing social trust.
Their strategy includes actively utilizing digital tools and promoting awareness on school campuses. Through life education programs in schools, the creation of engaging comic books and board games, immersive AR/VR experiences, and promotional dramas on Da Ai TV, Tzu Chi aims to deepen public understanding of the critical importance of matching and donation, encouraging younger generations to register as potential donors.
Cross-Border Learning and Impact
The Asia-Pacific conference covered a wide array of topics, from research on ethnic matching rates in India to clinical experiences with Mismatched Unrelated Donor (MMUD) transplants in the United States and Singapore. Discussions also included the evolution of donation systems in China and Japan, and models for cross-border cooperation in Hong Kong and Macau. A consensus emerged among participants: the active involvement of young donors and enhanced international collaboration between marrow registries are pivotal for improving successful matching rates in the future.
Unlike most national marrow registries, which are state-run, the Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center stands out as one of the few privately operated organizations. Established in 1993 under government commission, it relies on a vast network of dedicated Tzu Chi volunteers across Taiwan to fulfill its mission of facilitating hematopoietic stem cell donations.
Following the conference, Tzu Chi Hong Kong volunteers visited the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service Headquarters on September 16. This visit fostered valuable exchange on various topics, including the operations and strategies of the Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry (HKBMDR), the preservation and application of cord blood banks and hematopoietic stem cell laboratories, and experiences in international database cooperation and cross-border donor matching. Tzu Chi also shared its successful models for educational outreach and volunteer training.
Lydia Foeken, CEO of the World Marrow Donor Association, articulated the collective aspiration: "We hope to transform goodwill into action, giving more lives a second chance." This sentiment encapsulates the shared goal of all participating organizations to work together, enhancing voluntary hematopoietic stem cell donor registration and donation rates worldwide.
Written by Chen-Chen Liu (劉蓁蓁)
Photos by Chen-Chen Liu and Hong Kong Bone Marrow Donor Registry
Translated by Mindy Chen (陳敏理)
Source: 慈濟骨髓幹細胞中心出席WMDA 青年建檔捐贈全球目標一致
