1. Enhance Availability, Quality, Safety & Cost-Effectiveness: Strengthen collaboration among WMDA members to maximise the availability of volunteer donors and cord blood units for patients in need.

2. Support Continuous Improvement: Assist members in improving performance, guided by scientific and ethical principles, benefiting both donors and patients.

3. Raise Awareness: Increase public and professional understanding of voluntary, non-remunerated stem cell donation through initiatives such as World Marrow Donor Day (WMDD).

To achieve these goals, the Global Development pillar actively engages in:

• Promoting Collaboration: Facilitating knowledge exchange and partnerships among registries, transplant centers, and cord blood banks.

• Regulatory Engagement: Supporting compliance with WMDA Standards and international regulations.

• Advocating Best Practices: Guiding members on operational, ethical, and clinical excellence.

• Information Sharing: Providing access to resources, education, and data for continuous improvement.

• Publishing Global Trends Report to monitor the trends in stem cell transplantation.

Oversight is provided by four key committees:

1. Registry Operations & Regulation – Ensuring registries are resilient, prepared for emergencies, and continually improving services to transplant centers and donors.

2. Cord Blood Operations – Supporting public cord blood banks in improving data quality, transparency, and operational efficiency.

3. Donor Recruitment & Retention – Sharing strategies for building stable donor populations, donor care, and engaging donors worldwide.

4. Education – Delivering unique online courses, webinars, and materials to enhance knowledge and skills across the network.

WMDA offers an array of services to support voluntary stem cell donation:

• Pathway for New & Emerging Organisations: Guidance for establishing registries or public cord blood banks, click here.

• Online Education: Courses, webinars, and resources to strengthen expertise, click here.

• Handbook & Newsletters: Practical guidance and monthly updates through Stem Cell Matters.

• Global Trends Report: Information on number of donors recruited and transplants facilitated globally.

• International Meetings & Conferences: Share the latest scientific developments, best practices, and innovation strategies.

• Certification Program: Ensure high-quality performance and compliance with WMDA Standards.

Shipping stem cell cells or products internationally requires coordination with courier companies. Currently, audits are conducted individually by each organisation, which is time-consuming and inefficient. WMDA has launched a Courier Audit Programme that aims to:

• Streamline and centralise courier audits

• Provide a unified checklist and guidelines for assessing courier services

• Establish a clear, workable process with pricing structures

• Reduce effort for both WMDA members and courier companies, creating a one-stop solution

WMDA has certified the following courier companies:

• time:matter GmbH
• Ontime Courier GmbH

If you are working in an organisation that it performing audits on these companies, WMDA can provide you the certification and scope of the certification. You can use that a proof of compliance.

 

Whether you are a registry, cord blood bank, or transplant center, you can benefit from WMDA’s global development services. Explore membership options and learn how your organization can join our collaborative network:

• Become a member of WMDA
• New & Emerging Registries Pathway
• Educational Courses
• World Marrow Donor Day