South Africa’s blood cancer crisis is growing. The country performs just 139 adult transplants yearly – far short of what’s needed. Experts warn that reallocating funds without strengthening cancer care could lead to even more preventable deaths.
With international support for HIV and TB programmes dwindling, budget decisions are expected to focus on compensating for this shortfall. However, health experts warn that this shift could come at a steep cost – particularly for patients battling non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like blood cancer.
Despite the growing prevalence of NCDs, these conditions continue to receive less attention and fewer resources than infectious diseases. Blood cancer, in particular, is a glaring example.
While over 4 000 South Africans lose their lives to blood cancers annually, services for detection, diagnosis, and treatment remain vastly underfunded and inaccessible for many.
“Nearly 80% of South Africans rely on a system already operating at full capacity, with many left with little more than hope due to limited access to care,” says Palesa Mokomele, head of community engagement and communications at DKMS Africa.
“Even before these new funding shifts, resources for blood cancer detection and treatment were critically scarce.”
No resources for cancer patients
One of the most effective treatments for blood cancer is a stem cell transplant. Yet, these lifesaving procedures are far from routine in South Africa’s public health system.
“The survival rate for a stem cell transplant is up to 50% with a matched unrelated donor and 61% with a matched related donor,” Mokomele explains.
“Yet many healthcare facilities simply don’t have the resources to perform these procedures. As a result, most patients receive only medical management, which may not be enough to ensure survival.”
According to DKMS Africa, South Africa performs just a fraction of the necessary transplants each year – only 139 out of the 600 needed for adults and a mere 18 out of 250 for children.
The challenges don’t stop at clinical capacity. Financial barriers also play a critical role in treatment access. “One in five South African households delays seeking healthcare simply because they cannot afford it,” Mokomele notes.
While the government covers the cost of the transplant itself, other vital components – such as tissue typing and donor searches – are often excluded, leaving patients to shoulder heavy out-of-pocket expenses.
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Support and recovery
Socio-economic hardships further compound the problem. “Being the sole breadwinner means some individuals struggle to take time off work for necessary treatment,” says Mokomele. “In other cases, mothers face the impossible choice between continuing their own treatment or staying home to care for their children.”
Even when patients do receive transplants, their post-operative care is threatened by poor infrastructure. “Overcrowding and poor sanitation create dangerous environments for these highly immunocompromised patients,” she warns.
Recovery requires clean water, proper isolation, balanced nutrition, and sometimes long-term housing near treatment centers – resources that many hospitals simply cannot provide.
“No patient should be denied life-saving treatment due to funding constraints,” Mokomele concludes. “We urge government and the private sector to collaborate in strengthening blood cancer care, and we encourage the public to play their part by supporting fundraising initiatives that help bridge critical gaps in treatment access.”
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