Our concern is the search for matching donors.

Since 1988 we have run the national donor databank and search for compatible donors in Switzerland and abroad. Over 22,000 Swiss now belong to the family of registered blood stem cell donors.

Up to now, the Foundation has handled over 3,500 search requests for patients abroad and more than 1,100 for Swiss patients. Due to this about 700 transplantations in Switzerland and abroad have been made possible.

The Swiss Foundation Blood Stem Cells serves the following functions:

• The search for a compatible donor for requests in Switzerland and from abroad
• Administration of the (anonymous) data in the Swiss register
• Higher level negotiations (e.g., with government authorities)
• Organization of the precise procedure for a collection/transplantation
• Compilation and provision of general information material

In the early years the organization, then called the "Swiss Register of Bone Marrow Donors" (now called Swiss Foundation Blood Stem Cells) was only possible through external financial support: in the first phase from the Zentrallaboratorium Bern of the Swiss Red Cross (SRK) and later through Humanitary Foundation of the SRK. 

Meanwhile, the Swiss Foundation Blood Stem Cells has made tarif agreements with most health insurance companies for its work: services that our Foundation provides for Swiss patients is paid for by the health insurance companies. 

Services that we provide for patients abroad are paid for by the appropriate national register.

Private donations remain important, however, as this enables further registrations. Because only when as many willing donors as possible register, does an ill patient have a chance of finding a matching donor.

Meanwhile 69 different registers throughout the world have registered 13 million unrelated, voluntary blood stem cell donors. Register yourself too!