China’s marrow registry passes 24,000 stem cell donations

China’s national marrow donor registry has surpassed 24,000 donations of blood-forming stem cells to patients unrelated to their donors. The step from 23,000 to 24,000 donations took just 112 days. The milestone was announced on 18 September, ahead of World Marrow Donor Day.

It took more than 20 years to reach the first 10,000 donations. Registry director Huang Xianggang credited the accelerating pace to improved management, donor matching and coordination.

One volunteer behind the milestone is Li Huadi, who completed the 24,000th donation on 18 September. A regular blood donor for 11 years, he joined the registry in March 2024 and was initially matched with a patient in July 2026. Three more volunteers completed donations that same day.

The registry now holds almost 3.79 million volunteer donor records. It works with health authorities and blood centres to recruit volunteers, arrange matches and provide follow-up care. Its reach also extends across borders: 441 donations have gone to 35 countries and regions outside mainland China.