Lithuania - European Capital of Organ Donation 2024: we invite you to build bridges for life
The year 2024 has brought a special mission for Lithuania and the National Transplantation Bureau: our country will become the European Capital of Organ Donation by taking up the challenge of organising the 23rd European Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation Days together with the Council of Europe's European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Health Care (EDQM). The event will take place on 4-5 October and will spread from Lithuania to all corners of Europe, inviting everyone to say YES to organ donation.
From Vilnius, a message to Europe: opening of the European Organ Donation Days
On 4 October. The opening ceremony of the 2024 European Organ Donation Days will take place in Vilnius Town Hall Square from 18:00 to 19:00. The afternoon will be dedicated to a symbolic tribute to the memory of organ donors and to express deep gratitude to their loved ones for giving them hope for life.
According to the Head of the National Transplantation Bureau, unity will be the common thread of all events. "Organ donation and transplantation is a team process, where our unity is key. It is up to each and every one of us - the team of doctors and nurses in the intensive care unit, transplantologists, laboratory specialists, ambulance drivers, regional and national coordinators, police, air force, journalists, and, of course, every citizen of Lithuania - to work together to build bridges for life.
"On the afternoon of 4 October, we will light more than 2,070 candles in Vilnius Town Hall Square to honour the memory of donors, hear candid and real stories from the relatives of the donors and the recipients, and listen to musical performances by the Air Force Band. Let this be an evening of fellowship, where we thank those who have given other people a second chance at life", - invites A. Būziuvienė to the event.
For the eleventh year in a row, the Patients' Association "Gyvastis" invites all Lithuanian cities to light candles. It is a silent but very sensitive "thank you" from all living people to those who have saved the lives of others.
Lithuania's cities and towns will be painted green - the colour of hope and donation
On the same evening of 4 October, Lithuania will turn green - churches, bridges, squares, buildings and other public places in Lithuanian towns and cities will be illuminated in the symbolic colour of hope and organ donation. Every year, more and more Lithuanian towns and cities join this beautiful initiative. Last year alone, dozens of cities and towns joined the initiative. We invite you to join us again this year and share your photos and stories.
Experts from Europe and Lithuania will share their experiences
One of the most important European organ donation events in Lithuania will take place on 5 October. Organ Donation and Transplantation - Let's Build Bridges for Life", an international conference to be held at Vilnius University on October 5, bringing together organ donation and transplantation experts from across Europe. Speakers from Estonia, Slovenia, Switzerland and other countries will share lessons learned, success stories and challenges in their countries.
The conference will also include a vote of thanks to the most visible ambassadors of organ donation and transplantation. Personal examples and initiatives bring people together and inspire them to do good things.
Together with international partners, the conference participants will discuss the development and challenges of transplantation in Lithuania. This discussion will symbolically become bridges to life, both literally and figuratively, as every step of organ donation is a step closer to saving new lives and developing international cooperation.
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In Europe, 39,000 transplants are carried out each year, but the waiting list for new transplants is growing. In 2023, as many as 48,000 seriously ill people, including almost 500 Lithuanians, were waiting for a hopeful call for a transplant in Europe. Around 200 transplants are performed in Lithuania every year.
Currently, almost five hundred people are waiting for transplants in Lithuania. Among them: 133 - kidney, 99 - liver, 50 - heart, 4 - lung, 3 - heart-lung complex, 1 - pancreas-renal complex, 167 - cornea. 21 of them were children.
The Council of Europe was founded in 1949 and has its headquarters in Strasbourg (France). Almost all European countries are members of the Council of Europe. At present, the organisation has 47 members.
The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare (EDQM, a body of the Council of Europe), through the European Committee for Organ Transplantation (CD-P-TO), actively promotes organ donation and transplantation, the fight against organ trafficking and the preparation of organs, tissues and cells for transplantation, ethics, quality and safety standards.
Last updated: 01-10-2024