Amid growing awareness around stem cell donation among young Indians, DKMS Foundation India registered 2,644 potential student stem cell donors across eight colleges in Mangalore within just one week, marking the organisation’s highest-ever donor registration drive at a single location over such a short period.

Students across Mangalore colleges join DKMS Foundation India’s awareness drive, stepping forward to register as potential stem cell donors during the initiative

The initiative, conducted in collaboration with leading institutions in the Dakshin Kannada region such as Srinivasa University, St. Joseph’s Engineering College, Canara Engineering College, Mangala Group of Institutions, Vijaya College, Alva’s Group of Institutions, Karavali College of Pharmacy, and Dr. P. Dayananda Pai – P. Satisha Pai Government First Grade College, saw strong participation from students, faculty, and volunteers, highlighting growing awareness around stem cell donation and its life-saving potential for patients with blood cancers and disorders such as thalassemia, and aplastic anemia.

Students, faculty, and volunteers at St. Joseph’s Engineering College, Mangalore, participate in the DKMS Foundation India drive with record stem cell donor registrations

“Every new donor who joins the registry represents hope for a patient waiting for a match. But this drive means more than numbers. A stem cell match is determined by genetic markers — and those markers vary with ancestry and ethnicity. When we register donors from a community as vibrant and diverse as Mangalore, we are not just adding to a list; we are expanding the circle of hope for patients whose genetic profile may only match with someone from this very region. Diversity in our registry is not a goal — it is a matter of life and death for patients who have no other option,” says Patrick Paul, Executive Chairman, DKMS India.

Students, faculty, and volunteers across leading colleges in Mangalore came together for DKMS Foundation India’s week-long stem cell awareness drive

Ms. Prathibha K N, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and NSS Coordinator, St. Joseph’s Engineering College, Mangalore, said, “The DKMS awareness sessions, conducted as part of our NSS activity, were highly informative and impactful, clearly explaining how stem cell donation can save the lives of patients battling diseases such as leukemia. The sessions also helped address common misconceptions, and we saw genuine curiosity among students translate into action, with many stepping forward to register. Having registered myself as a donor last year, I deeply value the importance of such initiatives. More than the numbers, this drive helped build empathy and a lasting sense of social responsibility among young people.”

In India, one person is diagnosed with a blood cancer or blood disorder every five minutes, and nearly 70% of patients requiring a stem cell transplant depend on unrelated donors. Yet, with only 0.09% of the eligible population currently registered as stem cell donors, large-scale youth-led drives such as this remain critical to bridging the country’s donor gap.

With over 2,50,000 registered donors in India and over 250 lives already impacted through stem cell donations, DKMS Foundation India continues to strengthen the country’s donor pool, with sustained student-led participation playing a critical role in improving match possibilities for patients from diverse genetic backgrounds.

Individuals aged 18–55 in good health can register as potential donors at www.dkms-india.org/register-now.

About DKMS Foundation India
DKMS Foundation, India, is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the fight against blood cancer and other blood disorders, such as thalassemia and aplastic anemia. They aim to improve the situation of patients who have blood cancer and other blood disorders in India and throughout the world by raising awareness about blood stem cell transplantation and registering potential blood stem cell donors. For more information, please visit www.dkms-India.org.