TUVALU · OCEANIA
Is there a bone marrow registry in Tuvalu?
For people who live in Tuvalu. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
As of , we haven’t found a bone marrow donor registry that people who live in Tuvalu can join. That doesn’t mean there isn’t one. New Zealand’s foreign ministry funds treatment for a modest number of Tuvaluan patients in New Zealand or Fiji or by visiting specialists, and Tuvalu is in New Zealand’s Medical Treatment Scheme. 8 15
| Region | Polynesia, Oceania 10 |
|---|---|
| Population | About 9,820 (2023) 11 |
| Registry | None found as of 9 |
| World donor search | No organization based in Tuvalu lists adult donors or cord blood units in WMDA’s Search & Match (). 12 |
| Transplants | We haven’t found a stem cell transplant service in Tuvalu. That doesn’t mean there isn’t one. New Zealand’s 2020 aid record describes treatment normally unavailable in Tuvalu being given in New Zealand, in Fiji or by visiting specialists. 8 |
| Where we looked | 8 places, in English and Tuvalu |
| Checked | |
| Next check |
What we found in Tuvalu
Tuvalu’s patients are treated in New Zealand or Fiji under a New Zealand-funded scheme. 8
| Where | Language | Finding | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Marrow Donor Association | English | The World Marrow Donor Association’s member map listed no organization based in Tuvalu when we checked it on Oct 11, 2026. 9 | |
| Web search | English | A web search on Oct 11, 2026 confirmed that New Zealand’s Medical Treatment Scheme covers Tuvalu, with referrals for treatment in New Zealand, Australia or Fiji. 15 | |
| New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade | English | A web search on Oct 11, 2026 found New Zealand’s aid record for the Tuvalu Medical Treatment Scheme, which aims for equitable access to treatment normally unavailable in Tuvalu, but nothing on marrow donors. 8 | |
5 more searches with nothing to add
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We couldn’t open Government of Tuvalu’s website when we tried on Oct 11, 2026. That tells us nothing about whether it offers a way to join.
Can people in Tuvalu join a registry abroad?
Some 6,585 people identified as Tuvaluan at New Zealand’s 2023 Census, Stats NZ says, and in New Zealand anyone aged 18 to 35 who can give blood there may join its registry. On Oct 16, 2026, that registry delivered kits across New Zealand and Australia’s asked for Medicare; neither described joining from Funafuti or the outer islands. 1 2 3 7
Are stem cell transplants done in Tuvalu?
Tuvalu’s only hospital is on Funafuti and trained nurses serve the outer islands, the UK government’s travel advice says; for serious or complicated problems, patients may need medical evacuation to Fiji or Australia. 6
The Fiji Times reported in December 2016 that Tuvalu was sending patients to Fiji mainly for kidney dialysis, with an A$3 million yearly budget for its medical treatment scheme, and that Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga said the scheme’s costs had to be cut by 50 percent. 14
Has Tuvalu announced a registry or a law?
Tuvalu’s government newsletter Fenui reported in February 2015 that Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga had signed an agreement with Taiwan on a new medical scheme for referring Tuvalu patients for further treatment in Taiwan, with Taiwan deciding which patients it takes. 5
Questions about Tuvalu
Can a hospital in Tuvalu search abroad for a donor?
Neither New Zealand’s aid record for Tuvalu nor the Medical Treatment Scheme’s contractor mentions stem cell transplants or a donor search. 8 15
ANI reported in April 2026 that India would sponsor 10 patients from Tuvalu for treatment in India and provide a new dialysis unit for Princess Margaret Hospital in Funafuti, with no word on stem cell care or donor searches. 13
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Know of a registry in Tuvalu?
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The link preview says: “No verified way to join yet. That doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Here’s what we checked.”
Registries
- Stem Cell Donors Australia (Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry). Pre-Enrolment Questions pt 1 (cheek swab route). Checked
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). Who can join.
- New Zealand Bone Marrow Donor Registry (NZ Blood Service). How to join.
Official bodies
- Government of Tuvalu. Tuvalu | The first digital nation. Tried ; we couldn’t open it
- Government of Tuvalu, Tuvalu Media Department. Fenui e-newsletter, February 16, 2015. Updated Feb 16, 2015. Checked
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Health: Tuvalu travel advice. Checked
- Stats NZ. Tuvaluan, Place and ethnic group summaries. 2023. Checked
- New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Activity ACT-0001206: Medical Treatment Scheme/Health Assist Tuvalu (IATI record, PDF).
Figures and lists
- World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA). Find your registry.
- 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).
- WMDA. WMDA Total Number of Donors and Cord blood units.
Other sources
- LatestLY (ANI). Pacific Outreach: India Strengthens Ties with Vanuatu and Tuvalu Through Health, Tech, and Climate Partnerships. Updated Apr 26, 2026. Checked
- The Fiji Times. Tuvalu in health talks. Updated Dec 16, 2016. Checked
- Pasifika Medical Association Group. NZ Medical Treatment Scheme.