Leiden – Eurotransplant is concerned about the drop in organ donation that is seen since the beginning of this year. The 4% drop in the 7 Eurotransplant member countries leads to increased waiting times for transplant patients. The reduction in donated organs was most pronounced in kidney transplants where the decrease was 6,5% compared to the same period in 2007.
On Saturday, September 6, 2008, the EU Commissioner for Health Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mrs. Androulla Vassiliou, visited Eurotransplant International Foundation in Leiden, the Netherlands.
This visit can be seen as an appreciation by the EU Commissioner for the longstanding international cooperation between Eurotransplant’s member states and the fact that Eurotransplant has proven to be open for new members from former Eastern European countries to join the organization.
During the visit the EU Commissioner and the Eurotransplant President and Directors discusssed the problem of organ shortage as well as the EU initiative which intends to stimulate organ donation and to realize quality assurance for organ transplantation throughout the EU member states.
The EU Commissioner who carries a donor card herself expressed how important she values initiatives to increase organ donation.
Eurotransplant strongly supports quality assurance for organ donation and transplantation. Despite the fact that Eurotransplant might have concerns about strict regulations, it is confident of the balanced work being done at commission level and shall support and assist the commission in its efforts to increase organ availability and ensure quality and safety at EU level.
Eurotransplant International Foundation is the partnership alliance between Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia that allocates scarce organs to patients on waiting lists.