BRUSSELS, (Unib Rashid) – European Organ Donation Day is highlighting the importance of organ, tissue and cell donation, encouraging people to discuss donation with family members, friends and others in their communities.

The awareness campaign calls on the public to “Say Yes to Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation”, stressing that donation and transplantation are issues that concern everyone.

The initiative encourages people to learn about donation procedures and the relevant institutions in their own countries. It also highlights that age should not automatically be considered a barrier to discussing donation, urging people to seek accurate information from their national authorities.

Across Europe and participating countries, a range of public bodies, health authorities and specialist organisations oversee organ donation and transplantation services. Their responsibilities include coordinating donation procedures, supporting transplantation systems and providing information to the public.

In Austria, organ donation and transplantation information is provided through ÖBIG Transplant, while Belgium’s Federal Public Service is responsible for organ donation-related matters. Other national institutions include the Ministry of Health in Cyprus, the Danish Centre for Organ Donation, France’s Agence de la biomédecine and Germany’s German Organ Transplantation Foundation.

In Greece, the relevant institution listed is EOM under the Ministry of Health. Italy’s National Transplant Centre and Spain’s National Transplant Organisation also form part of the network of national bodies supporting donation and transplantation.

The list also identifies organisations in countries including Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. In the UK, NHS Blood and Transplant provides information and services relating to organ donation.

Cross-border cooperation is also an important feature of Europe’s transplantation system. The Eurotransplant International Foundation serves Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia. Meanwhile, Scandiatransplant operates across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

The campaign encourages people to talk openly about organ, tissue and cell donation and to consult the relevant national institutions for reliable information about local rules and procedures.

By promoting public awareness and informed discussion, European Organ Donation Day aims to bring donation into everyday conversations and help people understand how donation and transplantation systems operate in their countries.