FEW Africans use potentially life-saving stem cell therapy. The current ratio is startling, with only one in every 500000 Africans using the therapy.
Stem cell therapy is said to treat 70 diseases, including blood cancer.
"People are missing out on a vital opportunity for their families," Cryo-Save stem cell bank managing director Louis Rehrl said.
The facility, which was launched a few weeks ago in Pretoria, has a clientele base of mostly white citizens. Rehrl said the intake of Africans was estimated to be less than 10%.
Stem cell banking is a procedure that allows you to preserve cell tissue found in the umbilical cord or placenta when a baby is born.
These stem cells are the very building blocks that form the human body from conception. Once the cells are gathered, they are stored at the stem cell bank until they are needed to treat illness.
According to Rehrl, less black citizens of South Africa were banking their stem cells which in turn meant they would struggle to find a matching sample - even on international registries.
Added to that was the looming cost of international donors, which can be as high as R250000.
In South Africa there are only private facilities offering the service.
Cryo-Save is the biggest on the continent with branches in over 40 countries.
Rehrl said countries such as the US and Australia have public facilities, but "the South African government will probably not consider a public facility for years to come".
He said this was probably because the government placed its focus on other important issues such as HIV-Aids and Tuberculosis.
Before a baby is born, the pregnant couple must make arrangements with a bank where they will be given a kit.
The kit is to be handed over to the midwife before the birth and thereafter taken to the stem cell bank.
Rehrl said another hurdle to overcome was cultural understanding, where some people refrain from certain medical interventions in fear of disrespecting their culture.
Although the body normally has stem cells that help it to heal from wounds and other ailments, Rehrl said umbilical cells were most effective since they have not been exposed to chemicals, viruses and environmental elements. - mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
Africans miss out on stem cell therapy
FEW Africans use potentially life-saving stem cell therapy. The current ratio is startling, with only one in every 500000 Africans using the therapy.
Stem cell therapy is said to treat 70 diseases, including blood cancer.
"People are missing out on a vital opportunity for their families," Cryo-Save stem cell bank managing director Louis Rehrl said.
The facility, which was launched a few weeks ago in Pretoria, has a clientele base of mostly white citizens. Rehrl said the intake of Africans was estimated to be less than 10%.
Stem cell banking is a procedure that allows you to preserve cell tissue found in the umbilical cord or placenta when a baby is born.
These stem cells are the very building blocks that form the human body from conception. Once the cells are gathered, they are stored at the stem cell bank until they are needed to treat illness.
According to Rehrl, less black citizens of South Africa were banking their stem cells which in turn meant they would struggle to find a matching sample - even on international registries.
Added to that was the looming cost of international donors, which can be as high as R250000.
In South Africa there are only private facilities offering the service.
Cryo-Save is the biggest on the continent with branches in over 40 countries.
Rehrl said countries such as the US and Australia have public facilities, but "the South African government will probably not consider a public facility for years to come".
He said this was probably because the government placed its focus on other important issues such as HIV-Aids and Tuberculosis.
Before a baby is born, the pregnant couple must make arrangements with a bank where they will be given a kit.
The kit is to be handed over to the midwife before the birth and thereafter taken to the stem cell bank.
Rehrl said another hurdle to overcome was cultural understanding, where some people refrain from certain medical interventions in fear of disrespecting their culture.
Although the body normally has stem cells that help it to heal from wounds and other ailments, Rehrl said umbilical cells were most effective since they have not been exposed to chemicals, viruses and environmental elements. - mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
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