Every day 4 people are diagnosed with blood cancer in Lithuania. The disease is not concerned by the age, social status or occupation. Bone marrow transplantation for many oncohematological patients sometimes is one and only possibility to get better. Therefore every potential bone marrow donor is very important.
This website gives information about bone marrow donation and registration points in Lithuania. Get to know about Lithuanian bone marrow donation initiative ‘Be Good’!
About the initiative 'Be Good'
‘Be Good’ is a social initiative that promotes bone marrow donation in Lithuania. The initiative was created in 2005.
The initiative ‘Be Good’ seeks to present blood cancer and bone marrow donation issues, deny myths related to bone marrow donation and provide information how all people can help for patients who were diagnosed with blood disorder.
Although the initiative was established more than 10 years ago, there are still a lot of misleading information related to bone marrow donation. In order to raise awareness of initiative ‘Be Good’ and bone marrow donation in Lithuania, various events such as lecturers, discussions, presentations for schoolchildren, companies, groups are organised, informational and visual material are prepared, stories about donors’ and recovered patients’ are published in the website and the media.
Lithuanian Bone Marrow Donor Registry
- Lithuanian National Bone Marrow Donor Registry was established in 2004 and in the same year joined the International Bone Marrow Registry.
- The first allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in Lithuania was implemented in 2004.
- During the first year, only 250 potential donors were registered. Today, Lithuanian Bone Marrow Donor registry has more than 11 000 potential donors.
- More than 30 000 donors are searched worldwide and around 100 in Lithuania per year.
- Around 160-180 bone marrow transplants are implement in Lithuania every year (about 40-50 from unrelated donors).
- More than 1600 bone marrow transplants are implemented in Lithuania.
- Donors from Lithuania had donated 52 times to both Lithuanian and patients from other countries.
- About 80 % unrelated donors for Lithuanian patients are from other countries (mostly from Germany, Poland, Italy, Cyprus, USA, Israel, Check Republic, Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Great Britain).
COHP 'Kraujas'
The initiative ‘Be Good’ is implemented by the community of oncohematological patients ‘Kraujas’ (COHP ‘Kraujas’) The Lithuanian word ‘Kraujas’ means blood.
Since 2002 a non-profit, non-government organization COHP ‘Kraujas’ unites patients with oncohematological diseases, their relatives, medicine specialists and everyone who supports the ideas of organisation’s activities, volunteering as well as bone marrow and blood donation.
Community unites more than 1000 patients.
COHP ‘Kraujas’ is actively engaged in the health politics of Lithuania. It speaks out for important issues, organizes press conferences and scientific meetings, public events, constantly cooperates with media, publishes books and handbooks for patients and caregivers, provides oncopsychological support.
Community is a member of number of international organizations, including Lymphoma Coalition, The CML Advocates Network, The Myeloma Patients Europe, The European Cancer Patient Coalition, EURORDIS.
Please find more information about the organisation: www.kraujas.lt.
Contact Us
In case You have any questions or comments, please contact us by email info@kraujas.lt.