The World Health Assembly adopts a resolution promoted by Spain to promote transplantation at a global level

This initiative once again positions Spain as an international leader in the field of transplantation, on this occasion due to its role in designing the roadmap for this programme at a global level for the coming years.

The resolution is based on elements reflected in the "Santander Declaration", which resulted from the Global Transplantation Summit organised by the Spanish National Transplantation Organisation (ONT) in this city in November 2023, during the Spanish Presidency of the European Union (EU).

Through this resolution, the WHO urges Member States to expand organ, tissue and cell transplantation therapy, in particular by developing deceased donation to its full therapeutic potential. In this sense, it proposes that donation should be an integral part of end-of-life care and that both encephalic and asystole donation should be considered (only 23 countries have implemented this type of donation).

It also stresses the importance of living donor protection and promotes the establishment of oversight measures for donation and transplantation activities, such as designation of authorities, authorisation/accreditation of centres, audits and inspections, development of registries, coding, traceability and biomonitoring.

The resolution deals with the fight against organ trafficking and trafficking in human beings for the purpose of organ removal, including the role of health professionals.

Finally, it urges countries to commit to innovation in the field of transplantation and to regulate therapies that are developed from substances of human origin, so as to protect donors and recipients, ensure patient accessibility to these treatments and promote the sustainability of health systems.

The resolution calls on the WHO to support Member States in complying with the resolution and through the development of a Global Strategy on Transplantation. The expansion of transplantation is presented as a measure that can contribute to achieving targets 3.4 (reducing premature mortality due to non-communicable diseases) and 3.8 (universal health coverage) of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Transplantation is thus recognised as a priority strategy to be included in health policy agendas.

The Santander Declaration

Under the Spanish Presidency of the EU in the second half of 2023, the Spanish National Transplantation Organisation (ONT) led a meeting in the city of Santander, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the European Council, the International Transplantation Society (TTS), the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) and the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), with the aim of critically reviewing the global situation of organ, tissue and cell donation and transplantation, identifying key challenges and shaping the future of transplantation worldwide.

The Santander summit resulted in a series of recommendations being addressed to national governments, recognising the role of other stakeholders and urging international organisations to support countries in addressing these challenges. The document was called the "Santander Declaration" and inspired the resolution now adopted by the World Health Assembly.

Non official translation