Message of God
A young boy suffering from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) came to Medanta- The Medicity for treatment. The treating physician suggested Haematopoietic stem cell transplant as the only solution. The patient required a Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) matched donor for further treatment. Inability to find the genetic match within the family, took them to international registries working towards the development of voluntary stem cell donor database. Further inability to find Unrelated Matched Unrelated Donor (MUD) in international registries left the family with no other alternative. Sad and angry with the prevailing conditions, the boy’s father questioned the Health care system of India. The challenge, the urgency and the necessity to develop voluntary stem cells donor database got crafted into the mission to create the world’s largest registry and provide a matched unrelated donor to each one in need. Unfortunately, the young kid had to succumb to the odds. However, unknowingly the young boy gave a new direction to fight the devastating blood disorders. To help many others suffering from such life threatening blood disorders, Bharat Stem Cell register, an initiative of Safe Blood Organisation was established.
About GeneBandhu
GeneBandhu (GB) is a not-for-profit based out of New Delhi that aims at building a repository of “genetically matched stem cell donors”. The vision of our organization is to provide a ready solution to all blood disorders by building an extensive and diversified data pool of voluntary stem cell donors. It proves to be very difficult for an afflicted individual to search beyond their immediate friends and family for a matching stem cell donor, not only due to constraints on reach but also the cost of the tests to be conducted. This is where GeneBandhu looks to step in and build an extensive repository of genetically “matched” donors in India.
GB intends to create a repository of voluntary stem cell donors, through awareness and recruitment drives and subsequent HLA testing of the registered donors (GeneBandhus). HLA testing is necessary to classify all registered donors in our database, and the information from these tests is further used to match a patient with a donor for peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) or bone marrow transplant.
VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is a Sanskrit phrase found in Hindu texts such as the Maha Upanishad, which means "the world is one family". The Phrase consists of three words: “Vasudhā”, The Earth “Ēva”, Indeed “Kutumbakam”, Family For GeneBandhu, the Phrase denotes that despite our origin, all of us share the gene. Thus, it is possible to find Match Unrelated Donors (MUDs) for the patients who are in need of Stem Cell Transplantation. The GeneBandhu registry promises to maintain a database with as many voluntary stem cell donors as possible.
Mission, Vision and Value
Mission
To raise above the fear of blood disorders
Vision
To create one of the largest stem cell registries in India so that every patient gets a match and does not lose hope because of lack of donors.
Value
We aim to follow values & be ethical in every aspect of our functioning. Due to this, we have been able to maintain a strong network with our donor pool.
Our Associates
GeneBandhu is a member of the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA), which is the international organization that acts as a bridge between various donor registries across the globe, so that individuals across countries and continents receive help in case a patient cannot find a MUD donor in his or her own country. GB works in tandem with WMDA for helping such patients who do not have a potential donor in any of the Indian registries and complies with all International Standards. GB has an assigned Code ION 2824.
GeneBandhu is recognised as a registry by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in the National Guidelines for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation issued by ICMR in 2021, (Page No.22, Clause 16.4)
