Belgium has launched a new campaign called 'Match Match' to raise awareness among young people about the life-saving potential of stem cell donation, using the concept of dating app matching to make the message engaging.

Starting in 2025, Belgium is rolling out a nationwide awareness campaign focused on crisis situations, including the critical need for stem cell donors, targeting university campuses and student groups.

Supported by the Belgian Red Cross and Rode Kruis-Vlaanderen, the initiative aims to diversify and expand the donor registry to improve the chances for patients requiring transplants.

Research shows that less than half of Belgian students aged 18 to 25 are aware that stem cell donation can save lives, and many mistakenly believe it involves painful procedures, when it is typically a simple blood donation.

Finding a compatible stem cell donor outside of family is extremely rare—about one in a million—making it essential to grow the donor register, which currently has around 82,000 donors, with only a small percentage aged 18-25.

Despite the lack of awareness, 92% of young Belgians are willing to donate if a close relative needed it, showing a strong latent willingness to help.

The 'Match Match' campaign will kick off on September 22 at UCLouvain and KU Leuven campuses, involving student circles to promote registration and dispel misconceptions about stem cell donation.

Approximately 7,800 Belgians are affected annually by blood cancers like leukemia, myeloma, and lymphoma, with stem cell transplants often being their only treatment option.