Acceptability of the Establishment of an Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank by Pregnant Women in Côte d'Ivoire in 2023

Umbilical cord blood is the blood contained in the umbilical cord of mammals. It contains immature haematopoietic progenitors, or stem cells. In therapy, stem cells are used to treat a wide range of haematological and non-haematological malignant and benign pathologies. However, in traditional societies in Sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly in Côte d'Ivoire, blood as well as the placenta and its appendages are associated with taboos and are subject to rituals. As a result, very little data exists on the donation and banking of umbilical cord blood. This study is therefore being conducted to assess the level of acceptability of pregnant women attending the Yopougon General Hospital with a view to setting up an umbilical cord blood bank at the Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that lasted thirty days. After approval from the health authorities, a questionnaire written in French in the form of closed and open questions was administered to pregnant women using a semi-directed method. Data was entered using smartphones and the free ODK Collect application. Two hundred and eighty-nine women took part in the study. More than half of the participants (52%) were in favour of cord donation, and 84% were in favour of banking. On the other hand, 13% were opposed to donation, with safety being the main reason for refusal. Key words: Pregnant women, Stem cells, Umbilical cord blood, Biobank, Côte d’Ivoire