The European Committee on Organ, Tissues and Cells (CD-P-TO) granted observer status to the International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) at its last plenary meeting in October by unanimous decision. This professional society can now participate in the activities of the CD-P-TO, the steering committee of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) in charge of organ, tissue and cell activities at the Council of Europe.
One of the Council of Europe’s priority areas of development is involving a wide range of stakeholders in its work, including that of the EDQM. It is clear that everyone stands to benefit from broader and closer co-operation on approaches to global health issues. In particular, the involvement of professional societies in the work of the CD-P-TO so far has strengthened the scientific and technical quality of its outputs by ensuring access to the most up-to-date expertise. It has also facilitated wider dissemination of the standards and guidance developed by the committee and its ad hoc working groups and promoted synergies while reducing duplication of effort, notably in the elaboration of these standards.
Through its observer status, the ISHLT will bring to the CD-P-TO its internationally recognised clinical and scientific expertise in heart and lung transplantation, including cutting-edge knowledge on allocation systems, donation after circulatory death (DCD), machine perfusion and emerging therapies. This will support the committee’s efforts to address complex and evolving challenges in the field of transplantation and further strengthen the development and implementation of harmonised quality and safety standards.
As an observer to the CD-P-TO, the ISHLT joins other organisations and professional associations that can contribute on a global scale to promoting safe and ethical organ, tissue and cell donation and transplantation based on harmonised quality standards. Other observers to the CD-P-TO include the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT), The Transplantation Society (TTS), the World Marrow Donors Association (WMDA), the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), the European Association of Tissue and Cell Banks (EATCB), the European Eye Bank Association (EEBA) and the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).
See also: