Investment in Our Youth
Next Biosciences is passionate about impacting people’s health with science. We believe in empowering the budding scientists of today, by fueling their passion for biotechnology and cultivating our future scientists and leaders for tomorrow.
My Walk Made with Soul
For many children in South Africa, the journey to school begins barefoot. Through the My Walk Made with Soul initiative, recycled uncontaminated medical materials and plastics are turned into school shoes that protect young feet and restore dignity. In partnership with Netcare, Next Biosciences supports this initiative that helps children walk to school safely, confidently, and with pride - while caring for the planet they will inherit.
CHOC
Next Biosciences works closely with our supporting Gynaecologists, who choose to donate their cord blood collection fees to our Families of Hope programme.
Any unused fees from the Families of Hope programme are then donated the Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC). The CHOC foundation ensures that the donated fees are used to provides free, comprehensive support to families of children with cancer and life-threatening blood disorders.
CHOC is a non-profit organisation that advocates for the health and well-being of children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer or life-threatening blood disorders and their families. Their aim is to save lives through early detection and making the journey of those who are affected by childhood cancer, less burdensome through the comprehensive support programmes we offer.
CHOC offers basic necessities such as care bags, psychological, and nutritional support and bereavement support to over 1700 children and their families.
Should you wish to donate your procedural fees, please confirm in writing to
creditors@nextbio.co.za.
Netcells Families of Hope Programme
The Netcells ‘Families of Hope’ CSI programme aims to help and improve poor and disadvantaged families’ access to stem cell banking if they have a child with a stem cell-treatable disease.
A sibling cord blood donor programme
The programme gives potential future hope to disadvantaged families with children suffering from leukaemia, aplastic and Fanconi’s anaemia, sickle-cell disease, thalassemia, or other diseases treatable with stem cell transplants.
The Netcells ‘Families of Hope’ CSI programme aims to help and improve poor and disadvantaged families’ access to stem cell banking if they have a child with a stem cell-treatable disease. With a one in four chance that full biological siblings will be a genetic match, a stem cell transplant could potentially provide a cure.
This way, we hope to expand the opportunity to families who are faced with life-threatening diseases treatable with stem cells but cannot afford to save their baby’s precious stem cells at birth.
How the Netcelss’ ‘Families of Hope’ programme works
Disadvantaged child requires a bone marrow cells transplant
If a disadvantaged child requires a bone marrow stem cell transplant, and his/her mother is pregnant and expecting a full biological sibling (ie same father) Next Biosciences will facilitate the collection of the umbilical cord blood at the time of delivery. We’ll then transport the umbilical cord blood to our laboratory to be processed, tested and stored.
If there is a suitable match
If these stem cells test positive for a suitable HLA-type match, upon request by the affected sibling’s transplant physician, we’ll transport the stem cells to the place of transplant within Southern Africa.
Next Biosciences commitment
Next Biosciences has committed to supporting one family for every 100 cord blood units that are privately banked.
Procedural fees
Gynaecologist who do cord blood collections for Netcells are also given the opportunity to donate their procedural fees to the programme, if they wish, increasing the number of families that could benefit. Any unused funds will be donated to the Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC).