ZAMBIA · AFRICA
Is there a bone marrow registry in Zambia?
For people who live in Zambia. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
As of , we haven’t found a bone marrow donor registry that people who live in Zambia can join. That doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Zambians have long traveled abroad for complex treatment, Zambia’s Ministry of Health said on Sept 29, 2026; its planned Lusaka Medical City lists kidney transplants and cancer care, not marrow transplants. 6
| Region | Eastern Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa 12 |
|---|---|
| Population | About 20.7 million (2023) 13 |
| Registry | None found as of 10 11 |
| World donor search | No organization based in Zambia lists adult donors or cord blood units in WMDA’s Search & Match (). 11 |
| Transplants | The South First reported in January 2024 that a 14-year-old boy from Lusaka with severe sickle cell disease had a bone marrow transplant at KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad, India, from his 7-year-old sister, a full match; the doctor said a lack of advanced care in African countries drives families like this one from Zambia to seek treatment abroad. 14 |
| Where we looked | 7 places, in English |
| Checked | |
| Next check |
What we found in Zambia
Zambians travel abroad for complex care, Zambia’s Ministry of Health says. 6
| Where | Language | Finding | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Marrow Donor Association | English | On Oct 11, 2026, WMDA’s map of member registries showed none based in Zambia, and no organization based in Zambia listed donor records in WMDA’s Search & Match. 10 11 | |
| Ministry of Health, Zambia | English | On Oct 11, 2026, a search of the site of Zambia’s Ministry of Health for “bone marrow” found nothing. 4 | |
| Ministry of Health, Zambia | English | On Oct 16, 2026, a search of Zambia’s Ministry of Health site for “transplant” turned up only its Sept 29, 2026 release on a planned US$2 billion Medical City in Lusaka, with a national kidney transplant center, and nothing on bone marrow. 5 6 | |
| Ministry of Health, Zambia | English | On Oct 16, 2026, a search of Zambia’s Ministry of Health site for “cancer” listed a Consolidated Guideline for Childhood Cancer Care in Zambia, first edition 2025, and one for “sickle” its 2020 sickle cell disease guidelines; both files gave a server error, so we couldn’t read them. 7 9 | |
3 more searches with nothing to add
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Can people in Zambia join a registry abroad?
Has Zambia announced a registry or a law?
On Sept 29, 2026, Zambia’s Ministry of Health said Health Minister Roma Chilengi had signed the Medical City agreement with DIHAD in Abu Dhabi, and that DIHAD would help Zambian patients get treatment in the UAE until it opens; the announcement doesn’t mention a donor registry or marrow transplants. 6
Questions about Zambia
Are bone marrow or stem cell transplants done in Zambia?
The South First reported in January 2024 that a 14-year-old boy from Lusaka with severe sickle cell disease had a bone marrow transplant at KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad, India, from his 7-year-old sister, a full match; the doctor said a lack of advanced care in African countries drives families like this one from Zambia to seek treatment abroad. 14
About donating: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
Know of a registry in Zambia?
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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
- SABMR. Donor Exclusion Criteria - SABMR.
- DKMS Africa. Registration (1/11) - first eligibility screen.
- DKMS Africa. Blood stem cell registration form for non-sa citizens.
Official bodies
- Ministry of Health, Zambia. bone marrow - Ministry of Health (search).
- Ministry of Health, Zambia. transplant - Ministry of Health (search). Checked
- Ministry of Health, Zambia. US$2 BILLION MEDICAL CITY TO MAKE ZAMBIA THE REGION'S HEALTH TOURISM HUB. Updated Sep 29, 2026. Checked
- Ministry of Health, Zambia. sickle - Ministry of Health (search). Checked
- Ministry of Health, Zambia. leukaemia - Ministry of Health (search). Checked
- Ministry of Health, Zambia. Search Results for: cancer - Ministry of Health. Checked
Figures and lists
- World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA). Find your registry.
- WMDA. WMDA Total Number of Donors and Cord blood units.
- 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
- The South First. Sickle cell anemia victory: Zambian family finds hope at Hyderabad hospital as 7-year-old sister donates bone marrow to brother. Updated Jan 19, 2024. Checked