About us

30 Years of Building Bridges for Life

National Transplant Bureau under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania

For three decades, the National Transplant Bureau under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania (NTB) has played a central role in the development of organ, tissue and cell donation and transplantation in Lithuania.

Since its establishment in 1996, NTB has coordinated one of the country's most complex and meaningful healthcare systems, bringing together healthcare professionals, donor families, transplant recipients and international partners in a shared mission to save and improve lives.

Over the past 30 years, Lithuania has built a modern, transparent and internationally recognised donation and transplantation system. Today, the country ranks among Europe's leading nations in organ donation, reflecting not only medical excellence but also the generosity, compassion and trust of society.

The following milestones present the history of NTB and the development of organ donation and transplantation in Lithuania.

Before NTB: The Beginning of Transplantation in Lithuania (1970–1995)

Long before the establishment of NTB, Lithuanian healthcare professionals laid the foundations of transplantation medicine. Their pioneering work paved the way for the development of a national donation and transplantation system.

Highlights

• Lithuania's first kidney transplant was performed.
• The first living donor kidney transplant was successfully carried out.
• The first corneal transplant was performed.
• The first heart transplant in Lithuania and the Baltic States marked a major milestone in transplantation medicine.

Milestones

18 February 1970
Professor Algimantas Marcinkevičius and his surgical team performed Lithuania's first kidney transplant in Vilnius, marking the beginning of the country's transplantation era.

25 April 1974
The first living donor kidney transplant in Lithuania was successfully performed by the surgical team led by Vytautas Kleiza.

1974
Professor Elena Daktaravičienė and her team performed Lithuania's first corneal transplant in Kaunas.

2 September 1987
Professor Algimantas Marcinkevičius and his surgical team successfully performed the first heart transplant in Lithuania and the Baltic States.

The first decade of NTB was dedicated to building Lithuania's national donation and transplantation system. During these years, the legal framework, national registries and international partnerships that continue to support transplantation today were established.

Highlights

• NTB was established.
• Lithuania adopted its first transplantation legislation.
• The State Register of Human Tissue and Organ Donors and Recipients was created.
• The Donor Card was introduced.
• Lithuania joined regional transplantation cooperation through Balttransplant.
• International partnerships with neighbouring countries began to expand.

Milestones

16 January 1996
The Minister of Health, Antanas Vinkus, signed Order No. 43 establishing the National Organ Transplant Bureau, creating Lithuania's national authority responsible for coordinating organ donation and transplantation.

7 May 1996
The Statutes of the National Organ Transplant Bureau were approved.

19 November 1996
The Law on the Donation and Transplantation of Human Tissues, Cells and Organs was adopted, providing the legal foundation for Lithuania's transplantation system.

25 March 1997
The Law on the Determination of Human Death and Critical Conditions entered into force.

2000
The State Register of Human Tissue and Organ Donors and Recipients was established to record donor and recipient information nationwide. The Donor Card was also introduced, allowing citizens to officially express their decision regarding posthumous organ donation.

2000
Professor Balys Dainys performed Lithuania's first liver transplant.

2001
NTB signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of National Defence, enabling the transportation of donor organs by military helicopters.

2002
Balttransplant was established, creating a formal cooperation network between the transplantation coordination centres of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

2002
Lithuania expanded its legal framework for transplantation by regulating kidney, pancreas–kidney, heart, liver, lung, heart–lung and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation services.

October 2003
Lithuania began marking the European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation, joining a Europe-wide initiative to raise awareness of organ donation.

2003
NTB published Psychological Aspects of Organ Donation by Rūta Naudžiūnienė, one of Lithuania's first professional publications dedicated to the psychological aspects of donation.

2004
The Lithuanian Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry was established, expanding opportunities for patients requiring stem cell transplantation.

2004
NTB launched its first official website, providing reliable public information on donation and transplantation.

2004
Representatives of fifteen European countries signed the Prague Declaration, establishing the European Transplant Network and strengthening international cooperation in organ donation and transplantation. Lithuania joined this important European initiative.

2004
NTB published Diagnosis of Brain Death by Ingrida Bračiulienė and Valmantas Budrys, contributing to the professional development of healthcare specialists.

2005
Lithuanian children requiring liver transplantation began receiving treatment abroad, ensuring access to life-saving procedures unavailable in Lithuania at that time.

2006
NTB signed a cooperation agreement with Poltransplant, Poland's national transplantation coordination centre, further strengthening regional collaboration.

Expanding Horizons (2007–2016)

During its second decade, NTB entered a new stage of development. Lithuania expanded transplantation services, strengthened international partnerships, introduced new legislation and quality standards, and achieved a series of medical breakthroughs that positioned the country among Europe's active transplantation communities.

Highlights

• NTB became Lithuania's Competent Authority for tissue and cell donation and transplantation.
• The institution was renamed the National Transplant Bureau (NTB).
• Lithuania performed its first living donor liver, lung and heart–lung transplants.
• International cooperation expanded through EU-funded projects and partnerships with Eurotransplant.
• Electronic registration for the Donor Card was introduced.
• Lithuania implemented donation after circulatory death (DCD).

Milestones

2007
The Ministry of Health designated NTB as Lithuania's Competent Authority, responsible for supervising and coordinating tissue and cell donation and transplantation in accordance with Directive 2004/23/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.

2007
The institution was officially renamed the National Transplant Bureau (NTB), reflecting its broader responsibilities in coordinating tissue, cell and organ donation and transplantation.

October 2007
Lithuania's first tissue establishment (tissue bank) was licensed, expanding opportunities for tissue donation and transplantation.

2007
NTB published the first issue of its professional newsletter Transplantation.

2007
NTB participated in its first European Union-funded project, ETPOD (European Training Programme on Organ Donation), strengthening professional education and international cooperation.

2007
Lithuania successfully performed its first living donor liver transplant, its first lung transplant, and its first combined heart–lung transplant, marking a significant milestone in the country's transplantation programme.

16 May 2008
NTB signed a cooperation agreement with Lithuanian patient organisations, strengthening collaboration with patient communities.

19 June 2008
Lithuania successfully performed its first pancreas–kidney transplant.

October 2009
The documentary film …And the Heart Goes On, directed by Saulius Beržinis, premiered as Lithuania's first documentary dedicated to organ donation and transplantation.

2010
NTB signed a cooperation agreement with Eurotransplant, further strengthening international cooperation in organ exchange.

2010
NTB joined the EU-funded project COORENOR (Coordinating a European Initiative among National Organisations for Organ Transplantation).

2010
The adoption of Directive 2010/53/EU established common European quality and safety standards for human organs intended for transplantation, further strengthening Lithuania's transplantation system.

2011
NTB was reorganised as a public administration institution, establishing three specialised departments:

• Legal Affairs and Supervision,
• Transplant Coordination,
• Communication.

2011
NTB participated in the European project MODE (Mutual Organ Donation and Transplantation Exchanges).

17 May 2011
A cooperation agreement with the State Border Guard Service enabled donor organs to be transported by helicopter within Lithuania and from neighbouring countries.

2012
NTB introduced regular audits of donor hospitals and transplant centres to further improve the quality and safety of donation and transplantation services.

2012
NTB participated in the European project ACCORD (Achieving Comprehensive Coordination in Organ Donation throughout the European Union).

June 2012
For the first time in Lithuania's transplantation history, a donor heart was transported from Latvia for transplantation. Lithuanian surgeons also travelled abroad for the first donor heart retrieval.

May 2013
The Ministers of Health of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed a declaration strengthening cooperation and facilitating donor organ exchange between the Baltic States.

2013
NTB participated in the European project FOEDUS (Facilitating Exchange of Organs Donated in EU Member States).

2014
NTB published the methodological handbook Organ Donation, authored by Saulius Vosylius, Asta Kubilienė and Šarūnas Judickas.

27 March 2014
Lithuania introduced electronic registration for consent or refusal to become an organ donor after death, making the Donor Card available online.

July 2014
Vilnius hosted the 15th European Heart and Lung Transplant Games, bringing together transplant recipients from across Europe.

2015
Lithuania legally introduced donation after circulatory death (DCD), creating a third pathway for deceased organ donation.

February 2016
Experts from Barcelona, Spain, provided specialised training in Kaunas as Lithuania prepared to implement the DCD programme.

21 July 2016
Lithuania successfully carried out its first donation after circulatory death, marking another important milestone in the country's transplantation programme.

Autumn 2016
For the first time in Lithuania's transplantation history, an organ transplant recipient became an organ donor, demonstrating the extraordinary continuity of the gift of life.

Leadership and Looking Ahead (2017–2026)

During its third decade, NTB strengthened Lithuania's position as one of Europe's leading countries in organ donation and transplantation. Innovation, international recognition, growing public trust and record-breaking achievements defined this period, while a new long-term strategy laid the foundation for the future.

Highlights

• Lithuania became one of Europe's leading countries in organ donation.
• The world's first kidney transplants from a donor who had recovered from COVID-19 were performed.
• Regional Donation Coordination Centres were established.
• Lithuania hosted the 23rd European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation, becoming the European Capital of Organ Donation.
• 2025 marked another record year in organ donation and transplantation.
• NTB celebrated its 30th anniversary and launched a new national strategy for 2026–2035.

March 2017
NTB signed a cooperation agreement with the National Blood Centre, strengthening collaboration in promoting voluntary donation and public awareness.

March 2018NTB launched its renewed official website https://ntb.lrv.lt providing more accessible information on donation and transplantation to both healthcare professionals and the public.

May 2019
A national training programme, Fundamentals of Human Tissue, Cell and Organ Donation and Transplantation, was introduced for general practice nurses, strengthening professional education nationwide.

June 2019
NTB welcomed representatives of Swisstransplant, further expanding international cooperation and the exchange of professional experience.

1 January 2020
Lithuania introduced a new kidney allocation system, further improving transparency and equity in organ allocation.

July 2020
NTB, together with the Lithuanian Union of Journalists, organised the first national journalism competition promoting awareness of organ donation.

January 2021
Surgeons at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics performed the world's first kidney transplants using organs from a donor who had recovered from COVID-19, attracting international attention.

November 2021
The first pancreatic islet transplantation in the Baltic States was successfully performed at Santaros Clinics.

August 2022
Lithuania recorded the oldest organ donor in its history. The donor was 85 years old, demonstrating that age alone is not a barrier to organ donation.

July 2023
Three Regional Donation Coordination Centres were established in Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda, strengthening cooperation between donor hospitals and transplant centres and improving coordination across the country.

August 2023
Kauno Klinikos successfully performed Lithuania's first ABO-incompatible living donor kidney transplant, expanding treatment opportunities for patients.

September 2023
NTB renewed its cooperation agreement with the Lithuanian Air Force, extending the geographical range of donor organ transportation to include additional European countries.

November 2023
Santaros Clinics successfully performed the first simultaneous liver and kidney transplant in the Baltic States, representing another major achievement in transplantation medicine.

February 2024
The four-part documentary series Resurrection (Prisikėlimas), dedicated to the organ donation and transplantation process, premiered on Lithuanian National Television (LRT), bringing donation stories to a wider audience.

3–5 October 2024
Lithuania became the European Capital of Organ Donation, hosting the 23rd European Day for Organ Donation and Transplantation (EODD) in partnership with the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) of the Council of Europe.

2024
According to international data, Lithuania ranked 9th in the European Union and 11th worldwide among 63 countries in the number of effective deceased donors per million population.

2025
Lithuania achieved another record year in organ donation and transplantation.

The effective deceased donor rate reached 28.7 donors per million population (pmp), the highest in the country's history, further strengthening Lithuania's position among Europe's leading countries in organ donation.

Public confidence in organ donation continued to grow. The family refusal rate decreased to 28.9%, while public support for organ donation remained consistently high, reflecting increasing awareness and trust in the donation system.

16 January 2026
NTB celebrated its 30th anniversary, marking three decades of continuous development, cooperation and commitment to saving lives through donation and transplantation.

28 January 2026
The Minister of Health approved the 2026–2035 National Donation and Transplantation Programme, establishing Lithuania's long-term strategic vision for strengthening donation and transplantation services, introducing innovation, improving patient care and increasing public awareness.

The Programme sets an ambitious national objective of reaching 30 effective deceased donors per million population by 2030, while further improving access to transplantation, reducing waiting times and ensuring the sustainable development of Lithuania's donation and transplantation system.

For 30 years, NTB has been building bridges between donation and hope. Behind every milestone lies the dedication of healthcare professionals, the generosity of donors and donor families, the courage of transplant recipients, and the trust of society.

Together, they have transformed thousands of lives and continue to shape the future of organ donation and transplantation in Lithuania.

With a clear vision for the future, NTB enters its fourth decade committed to its mission – Building Bridges for Life – advancing transplantation medicine, strengthening international cooperation and giving hope to every patient waiting for the life-changing call.