ESTONIA · EUROPE
Become a stem cell donor in Estonia
For people who live in Estonia. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in Estonia, you can join Tartu University Hospital Stem Cell Center from age 18 to 35. People who live in Estonia join the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service’s stem cell registry: they sign up in Estonia, and their records are kept in Helsinki. 1 Checked .
| Place | Estonia (Eesti) 8 |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Europe, Europe 6 |
| Population | About 1.4 million (2023) 7 |
| Registry | Tartu University Hospital Stem Cell Center (Sihtasutus Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikum) 1 2 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 35, listed until your 55th birthdayResidents of Estonia can join Finland’s Stem Cell Registry through Tartu University Hospital, as a result of the hospital’s cooperation with the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service. 1 3 |
| How you sign up | You join in person at Tartu University Hospital, at two blood centers in Tallinn or at Pärnu Hospital’s blood service, filling in a registration form and health questionnaire and giving a blood sample from a vein. 2 |
| Transplants | Tartu University Hospital is the only hospital in Estonia that does allogeneic stem cell transplants and transplants for children, and when it marked 30 years of transplants in late 2022 it had done 400 autologous and 349 allogeneic ones, 38 to 59 a year. 4 |
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Stem cell registries are also called bone marrow registries.
Who runs the stem cell donor registry in Estonia?
Tartu University Hospital Stem Cell Center signs up people who live in Estonia. It is run by Sihtasutus Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikum, a public hospital or university service.
People in Estonia join Finland’s stem cell registry, signing up in Estonia. 1
How do I join in Estonia?
Tartu University Hospital Stem Cell Center
Run by Sihtasutus Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikum, a public hospital or university service.
18–35years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Estonia, aged 18 to 35.
- Languages
- Estonian, Russian and English
Why this one first The way to join in Estonia: register in person at Tartu, Tallinn or Pärnu (18–35); records are kept with Finland’s registry.
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in Estonia?
Tartu University Hospital says you can’t join the registry from Estonia if your body mass index is over 35, you weigh under 50 kg, you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day or your hemoglobin is low, below 125 g/l for women and 135 g/l for men. 3
Estonia and the world’s donor search
Tartu University Hospital says the Finnish registry arranges stem cells from donors living in Finland and Estonia for patients in Finland, Estonia and, when needed, other countries. 1
Since 2005, an agreement between the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service, Tartu University Hospital and the Estonian Health Insurance Fund has let Finland’s registry supply stem cells from registry donors to patients in Estonia. 5
What happens after I join?
Blood samples from Estonian volunteers are analyzed in Tartu University Hospital’s laboratory and the results are sent to the Finnish registry; volunteers can stay registered until 55. 2 3
People who join in Estonia can see their tissue typing results in the national Health Portal, Terviseportaal, and Tartu University Hospital treats every health detail they give as confidential. 2
Questions about joining in Estonia
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Estonia?
Residents of Estonia can join Finland’s Stem Cell Registry through Tartu University Hospital, as a result of the hospital’s cooperation with the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service. 1
How do I sign up in Estonia: online, by kit or in person?
You join in person at Tartu University Hospital, at two blood centers in Tallinn or at Pärnu Hospital’s blood service, filling in a registration form and health questionnaire and giving a blood sample from a vein. 2
How old do you have to be to join Tartu University Hospital Stem Cell Center?
Tartu University Hospital Stem Cell Center signs up people aged 18 to 35. It keeps you listed until your 55th birthday. 3
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Registries
- Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikum. Tüvirakuregister.
- Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikum. Kuidas liituda.
- Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikum. Põhinõudmised doonorile.
- Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikum. Tüvirakukeskus (avaleht). Updated Nov 14, 2022. Checked
- Tartu Ülikooli Kliinikum. Soome Punase Risti Tüvirakuregister. Updated Oct 31, 2023. Checked
Figures and lists
- United Nations Statistics Division. Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49): Overview (English table).
- UN DESA Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024: Total population by sex (CSV).
Other sources
- Unicode CLDR. By-Type Chart: Locale Display Names:Territories (Europe). Checked