EBMT

Worldwide Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WWBMT)

On the initiative of the EBMT, CIBMTR and Asia Pacific Blood and Marrow Transplant Registry (APBMT), in collaboration with World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), a meeting was organised in Lyon with representatives of other continents and countries to discuss the establishment of a global network of outcome registries.

At the meeting D Niederwieser outlined a number of problems currently faced by the BMT profession, which lie at the heart of this initiative:

• Issues arising from EU Directives, illustrating the need to improve communication with
     regulators e.g. Import & Export requirements
• Need for universal patient and donor ID numbers
• Centre ID problems
• Need for common data sets
• Continents without registries

The spirit of the meeting was very constructive and there was general consensus on the value of:

• Sharing ideas & resources and learning from each other, without impacting on the
  independence of each group
• Developing a global outcomes registry to analyse progress in the field, provide data for research and improve activities
• Facilitating collaborative research
• Continuing the spirit of collaboration seen in the field over the last 20 years

The main topics addressed at the meeting were:

• Maintenance of consensus on a common data set for donors and recipients
• Facilitation of the development of regional registries
• Development of universal patient, donor and centre ID numbers
• Value of a global survey of transplant activity

Dietger Niederwieser presenting at the WWBMT Meeting in Lyon

Two separate working groups were set-up to take forward the development of a global activity survey and to investigate the issues and technical solutions for the development of universal patient and donor IDs.

Luc Noel of the WHO congratulated these initiatives and commented that the stem cell transplant field is leading the way for harmonisation. He referred to the collaborative relationship recently established with national health authorities and the importance of continuing in this way.

The development of a global network is something the WHO would strongly encourage and they will establish over the next year how they might support the initiatives arising from the network.

Delegates at the WWBMT Meeting in Lyon

The next meeting will be organised alongside the WMDA meeting in Minneapolis on 2nd November 2007, when a charter for the group will be established and there will be an update on the activities of the working groups. A website has been set up at the following URL: www.wwbmt.org and is currently under construction.

For more information on WWBMT contact Dietger Niederwieser.

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