Brussels, 30/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 30 May, the European Commission adopted a communication that proposes actions for closer cooperation between member states in the field of organ donation and transplantation, and announcing plans for a European Directive on quality and safety of organ donation. The communication includes ideas to raise public awareness so as to increase organ donation, such as the creation of a European organ donor card. A Eurobarometer survey shows that while 81% of European citizens support the use of an organ donor card, only 12% of Europeans currently have one. Commissioner Markos Kyprianou informed the press that he was like most people and wanted to encourage organ donation, but he did not have a donor card. Although the number of organ donations and transplants in the EU has risen steadily, many obstacles remain, including a shortage of donors and diverging quality and safety standards. The communication sets out ideas to increase organ availability, such as creating organ transplant coordinators in hospitals and expanding the use of living donors. The Commission will also promote the exchange of best practices between member states to make organ transplant systems more efficient and accessible.
Every year, a number of organs are exchanged between hospitals in different EU member states, carried out by hospitals or professionals falling under different national requirements with regard to safety and quality.
These quality and security measures currently vary widely. Similar to Community texts setting quality and safety standards for blood and blood products and also cells and tissues, a European directive on quality and safety of organ donation, based on Article 152 of the EC Treaty, would create common standards for quality and safety at every stage of the transplant process across the Community, without affecting organ donation rates in the EU. This proposal will complement the cooperation approach set out in the action plan. The directive, expected to be proposed in 2008, would establish oversight authorities in member states, a common set of quality and safety standards and a system to ensure the traceability and the reporting of serious adverse events and reactions. It would also establish inspection and control measures, and incorporate a mechanism to characterise organs, so that the transplant teams can undertake the appropriate risk assessment.
There are large differences in organ donation and transplant rates within the EU, ranging from 34.6 donors per million people in Spain to 13.8 in the UK, six in Greece and 0.5 in Romania. These differences cannot be easily explained and it is clear that some organisational models are performing better than others. Cooperation between the member states should focus on identifying the most efficient systems, sharing experience and promoting best practice as well as supporting Member States whose transplant systems are not yet sufficiently developed. The communication argues that hospital transplant coordinators have helped to motivate the professionals concerned and produce more efficient results. As far as is possible (Ed: it is not possible to conserve an organ for transplant for very long), guidelines for systems offering surplus organs to the countries in need could also be evaluated, especially for the exchange of organs for urgent and difficult treatment of patients.
The main problem in the area of transplantation lies in the shortage of donated organs. Every day almost 10 people die in Europe while waiting for an organ. The mortality rate of patients waiting for a heart, liver or lung transplant is between 15% and 30%. Currently, there are around 40,000 patients in Europe on waiting lists for an organ transplant.
The communication on organ donation and transplantation can be found at: http: //ec.europa.eu/health/ph_threats/human_substance/oc_organs_en.htm (oj)