VANUATU · OCEANIA
Is there a bone marrow registry in Vanuatu?
For people who live in Vanuatu. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
As of , we haven’t found a bone marrow donor registry that people who live in Vanuatu can join. That doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Vanuatu’s Ministry of Health doesn’t fund overseas referrals, its December 2019 National Referral Policy says; when a patient or relatives can pay, the ministry helps organize the referral. 7
| Region | Melanesia, Oceania 11 |
|---|---|
| Population | About 320,000 (2023) 12 |
| Registry | None found as of 10 |
| World donor search | No organization based in Vanuatu lists adult donors or cord blood units in WMDA’s Search & Match (). 13 |
| Transplants | We haven’t found a stem cell transplant service in Vanuatu. That doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Vila Central Hospital is the national referral hospital, above a provincial referral hospital and four provincial hospitals, the Ministry of Health says. 8 |
| Where we looked | 8 places, in English, French, Bislama, Fijian and Samoan |
| Checked | |
| Next check |
What we found in Vanuatu
Vanuatu’s health ministry doesn’t fund overseas medical referrals, its 2019 policy says. 7
| Where | Language | Finding | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Marrow Donor Association | English | The World Marrow Donor Association’s member map listed no organization based in Vanuatu when we checked it on Oct 11, 2026. 10 | |
| Vanuatu Ministry of Health | English, French and Bislama | A search of Vanuatu’s Ministry of Health website for ‘bone marrow’ on Oct 11, 2026 returned no results, and neither did ‘overseas referral’. 4 | |
| Vanuatu Ministry of Health | English, French and Bislama | Searches of Vanuatu’s Ministry of Health website in French, for ‘moelle osseuse’, and in Bislama, for ‘gris blong bun’, on Oct 11, 2026 also returned no results. 4 | |
5 more searches with nothing to add
| |||
Can people in Vanuatu join a registry abroad?
Stats NZ counted 1,161 people of Ni Vanuatu ethnicity in New Zealand at its 2023 Census, and those aged 18 to 35 who meet NZ Blood Service’s donor requirements may join the New Zealand registry. For people living in Vanuatu, on Oct 16, 2026 Australia’s registry asked for Medicare and New Zealand’s delivered kits across New Zealand. 1 2 3 9
Are stem cell transplants done in Vanuatu?
A 2026 study of women from Vanuatu who travel to New Caledonia for cancer care, in Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses Formation, says radiotherapy and chemotherapy aren’t available in Vanuatu and that the means to treat cancer are concentrated in Port Vila. 16
Has Vanuatu announced a registry or a law?
The Vanuatu Daily Post reported on July 29, 2026 that Vanuatu’s Ministry of Health plans an Oncology Unit to cut overseas referrals, with Japan offering equipment such as CT scanners and radiation therapy; Health Minister Robert Bohn said many patients still have to be sent overseas. 15
Questions about Vanuatu
Can a hospital in Vanuatu search abroad for a donor?
Under Vanuatu’s 2019 referral policy, the ministry’s Director of Hospital and Curative Services must approve any referral out of the country, in exceptional circumstances; New Zealand’s Medical Treatment Scheme also refers Vanuatu patients to New Zealand, Australia or Fiji. 7 17
ANI reported in April 2026 that India would sponsor 10 patients from Vanuatu for specialized medical treatment in India under its Heal in India initiative and provide a sea ambulance for the archipelago, announced during a ministerial visit to Port Vila. 14
The same 2026 study found no state system in Vanuatu to coordinate cross-border care, yet people with suspected cancer still try to travel abroad for tests or treatment; its author interviewed 61 health workers, officials and others and 28 patients in Port Vila in 2023. 16
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Know of a registry in Vanuatu?
Download the card
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
- Vanuatu Ministry of Health. Site searches 'bone marrow', 'overseas referral', 'moelle osseuse', 'gris blong bun'.
- Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services. Site searches 'stem cell', 'overseas medical referral', 'blood service', 'uto ni sui'.
- Samoa Ministry of Health. Site searches 'bone marrow', 'overseas treatment', "ga'o ivi", "foa'i toto".
- Vanuatu Ministry of Health. National Referral Policy (PDF). Checked
- Vanuatu Ministry of Health. Curative Directorate Office. Checked
- Stats NZ. Ni Vanuatu, Place and ethnic group summaries. 2023. Checked
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
- Vanuatu Daily Post. Gov't plans Oncology Unit to expand cancer treatment in Vanuatu. Updated Jul 29, 2026. Checked
- Elsevier Masson (Médecine et Maladies Infectieuses Formation). Cancers féminins et mobilités thérapeutiques depuis le Vanuatu vers la Nouvelle-Calédonie. 2026. Checked
- Pasifika Medical Association Group. NZ Medical Treatment Scheme.