SRI LANKA · SRI LANKA STEM CELL DONOR REGISTRY
Become a stem cell donor in Sri Lanka
For people who live in Sri Lanka. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
A registry for people in Sri Lanka is being set up by Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry, and you can pre-register from age 18 to 45. Sri Lanka’s stem cell donor registry, now called Praana, is a Ministry of Health project run by the National Blood Transfusion Service, and it began signing up donors in 2024. 3 4 Checked .
| Place | Sri Lanka (ශ්රී ලංකාව, இலங்கை) 9 |
|---|---|
| Region | Southern Asia, Asia 7 |
| Population | About 23 million (2023) 8 |
| Registry | Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry (National Blood Transfusion Service, Sri Lanka (Ministry of Health)) 5 6 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 45Praana asks that you’re 18 to 45, weigh at least 50 kg and have a hemoglobin level above 12.5 g/dL. Its online form asks for your current address by Sri Lankan province, and Praana states no citizenship rule. 1 2 |
| How you sign up | You can pledge on Praana’s website, or fill in a paper pledge form in English, Sinhala or Tamil at a blood bank or mobile blood donation campaign. The National Blood Transfusion Service then takes a cheek swab for tissue typing at the blood bank you choose. 2 |
| Transplants | Praana’s timeline says HLA typing began at Sri Lanka’s Central Blood Bank in 1990, the first government-sector autologous stem cell transplant was done at the National Cancer Institute in October 2016, and the first allogeneic transplants for children and adults followed in 2022. 4 |
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Stem cell registries are also called bone marrow registries.
Who runs the stem cell donor registry in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry signs up people who live in Sri Lanka. It is run by National Blood Transfusion Service, Sri Lanka (Ministry of Health), a public body.
Sri Lanka’s Praana registry takes pledges online or at blood banks, ages 18 to 45. 2
How do I join in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry
Run by National Blood Transfusion Service, Sri Lanka (Ministry of Health), a public body.
18–45years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Sri Lanka, aged 18 to 45.
- Languages
- English, Sinhala and Tamil
Read Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry’s own page (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka and the world’s donor search
Praana says its first goal is a database of 10,000 donors, and its long-term aim is a donor pool of 1% of Sri Lanka’s population; Praana publishes no count yet of how many people have pledged. 3
What happens after I join?
After your swab is typed, Praana says it will make your tissue type available in local and global searches for stem cell donors and will contact you if you come up as a suitable donor. 2
Questions about joining in Sri Lanka
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Sri Lanka?
Praana asks that you’re 18 to 45, weigh at least 50 kg and have a hemoglobin level above 12.5 g/dL. Its online form asks for your current address by Sri Lankan province, and Praana states no citizenship rule. 1 2
How do I sign up in Sri Lanka: online, by kit or in person?
You can pledge on Praana’s website, or fill in a paper pledge form in English, Sinhala or Tamil at a blood bank or mobile blood donation campaign. The National Blood Transfusion Service then takes a cheek swab for tissue typing at the blood bank you choose. 2
How old do you have to be to join Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry?
Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry signs up people aged 18 to 45. 2
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Download the card
The link preview says: “A registry is starting. Pre-register with Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry.”
Registries
- Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry (SLSCDR) / NBTS. Donor Registration Form.
- Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry (SLSCDR) / NBTS. Join Us.
- Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry (SLSCDR) / NBTS. PRAANA | Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry.
- Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry (SLSCDR) / NBTS. Our Journey.
Official bodies
- National Blood Transfusion Service, Sri Lanka (Ministry of Health). Stem Cells and Transplant.
- National Blood Transfusion Service, Sri Lanka (Ministry of Health). Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry & Praana Program.
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 (Asia). Checked