Anthony Nolan is campaigning for its Register and Be a Lifesaver education programme on blood, organ, and bone marrow donation to be a compulsory part of education for 16-18 year olds.
Just 50% of people who need a bone marrow transplant will find a matching donor, and there are over 7,000 people currently waiting for donated organs. Increasing the number of donors in the UK will help save more lives.
On Wednesday 6 March, Labour MP Seema Malhotra will introduce Adrian’s Law (the Blood, Organ and Bone Marrow Donation (Education) Bill) under a Ten Minute Rule Motion in the House of Commons.
Seema Malhotra, MP for Feltham and Heston, says, ‘Education about blood, organ, and bone marrow donation is essential for giving young people the information and awareness to make the decision to be a donor, and enable the NHS to save more lives. Introducing this education is a vital measure for securing a long-term solution to address the donor shortage.’
‘The problem is compounded for people from ethnic minority backgrounds. A white northern European person has a 90% chance of finding a bone marrow donor. However, this drops to just 40% for people from ethnic minority backgrounds.’
The call for compulsory education for 16-18 year olds comes after impressive results from a pioneering education programme, Register and Be a Lifesaver (R&Be), run by Anthony Nolan with NHS Blood and Transplant.
R&Be is the legacy of young journalist Adrian Sudbury. Adrian Sudbury spent the last two years of his life campaigning for better education about stem cell donation. Since 2009, volunteers have spoken to almost 80,000 students about blood, organ and bone marrow donation.
Victoria Moffett, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Anthony Nolan, says, ‘We are determined to continue Adrian’s legacy and engage with all young people about the idea of donation. We hope Members of Parliament recognise the importance of this bill in ensuring that the NHS can provide donated blood, organs and bone marrow to those who desperately need them and that they can continue to do so in the future.’
For press enquiries, please contact Amy Evans, Communications Officer on 020 7424 6645 or email amy.evans@anthonynolan.org.
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