A collage of diverse DKMS moments in 12 photos from around the world. The large transparent number "2024" overlays the photos. The collage contains scenes of donor drives, smiling and celebrating people, fundraising events, blood cancer and blood disorder patients, and scenes from the lab.

DKMS Global Impact Report 2024

Message from Dr. Elke Neujahr

Dear supporters, dear friends,

Welcome to this edition of our DKMS Global Impact Report, in which we look back at the milestones of our lifesaving mission and more particularly our achievements in 2024.

From our beginnings as a small donor center in Germany to becoming the world’s largest international nonprofit dedicated to saving the lives of patients with blood cancer and blood disorders, we have come a long way. Today, we operate donor centers in seven countries, with a mission that transcends borders, bringing hope and second chances to patients worldwide. This past year, we were able to provide more than 9,000 second chances at life in more than 60 countries, and as at 31 December, our global database comprised an incredible 12.5 million donors. Furthermore, we gave over 450 additional second chances at life for instance via our Access to Transplantation programs.

Our mission is clear: to give as many patients as possible a second chance at life. But our work goes far beyond registering donors. We are committed to addressing blood cancer from multiple angles, as is reflected in our three strategic pillars, which guide us in everything we do: (1) Boost Stem Cell Donations, (2) Improve Access to Transplantation, and (3) Advance Research & Development to improve survival and recovery rates.

Like every forward-thinking organization, we regularly pause to reflect on how we work and ensure we stay on track to fulfill our mission. We operate the largest donor database in the world – but we still face challenges such as not being able to reach donors once they have been identified as a match. In addition, we urgently strengthen our efforts to motivate young people to register as potential stem cell donors. For various medical reasons, the age group of 18-25 is most frequently requested by transplant centers. That’s why we have set up a task force that is looking into how we can better reach the younger generation and motivate them to become a lasting part of our mission over the longer term.

In 2024, we also launched our latest initiative to help patients with limited access to transplant care: the DKMS BMT Start-Up Program in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim is to provide infrastructure and medical advisory support to transplant units in underserved regions. Launched in two pediatric hospitals in Uzbekistan and Vietnam, the DKMS BMT Start-Up Program enabled six successful transplants until the end of the year.

Another major breakthrough was the transplantation of the first off-the-shelf cryopreserved stem cell unit from an adult donor – a milestone made possible by our DKMS Stem Cell Bank. This innovation opens up new opportunities for accessing stem cells within 72 hours and improving efficiency.

We are also keen to foster innovation and research through our third pillar: Advance Research & Development. For example, we are currently expanding further into the field of diagnostics, starting with the monitoring of measurable residual disease (MRD) for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in India. We are expecting promising results over the coming years, guided by our Agenda 2030, the lodestar in our mission to reach even higher and achieve even more second chances at life.

By the end of 2030, we aim to:

Provide 12,000 second chances at life a year
Enable 200,000 stem cell transplants worldwide since we were founded
Increase our pool to at least 17 million potential donors
Make a meaningful contribution to advanced cell therapies
Further develop MRD diagnostics and make them affordable

At the heart of it all is you. With your generosity and commitment, we will continue increasing our impact and offer significantly more second chances at life.

Thank you for your support. And happy reading!

Sincerely,
Dr. Elke Neujahr
Global CEO, DKMS Group
Vice Chair Foundation Board, DKMS Stiftung Leben Spenden