European Donation Day (EDD)
Media kit

#EuropeanDonationDay

A day dedicated to the gift of hope, every second Saturday of October

European Donation Day (EDD)

The European Day for Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation (EDD) takes place every year on the second Saturday of October to raise public awareness of the need for organ, tissue and cell donation, promote the principle of voluntary and non-remunerated donation, and honour donors, their families and healthcare professionals.

The critical shortage of transplantable organs, tissue and cells is an urgent health issue, and one of the most powerful expressions of solidarity and humanity is organ, tissue and cell donation. Because transplantable organs, tissue and cells are so rare, thousands of people across Europe are waiting, hoping for a life-changing or even life-saving transplant.

The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM), part of the Council of Europe, initiated the EDD in 1996 and since then, has sponsored EDD in a different host country each year, with the events being organised by their respective organ donation and transplantation institutions. The public is also encouraged to spread the word by sharing the campaign on social media.

Publications, videos, the social media campaign, our podcast on organ, tissue and cell donation and more statistics can be found on the dedicated EDD web page.

Organs, tissues and cells – EDQM (Council of Europe) activities

The work of the Council of Europe in the area of organ, tissue and cell transplantation started in 1987, contributing actively to the implementation of high standards for the protection of public health and for the promotion of human rights and dignity. In 2007, responsibility for the secretariat of activities related to organ, tissue and cell transplantation was transferred to the EDQM. The principles guiding the work of the EDQM in the field of organ, tissue and cell transplantation are:

ensuring human dignity;
maintaining and fulfilling human rights and fundamental freedoms;
ensuring the non-commercial nature of substances of human origin;
protecting donors and recipients of organs, tissues and cells.

The European Committee on Organ Transplantation (CD-P-TO)

The CD-P-TO is the steering committee in charge of organ transplantation activities at the EDQM. It actively promotes the non-commercialisation of organ donation, the fight against organ trafficking and the development of ethical, quality and safety standards in the field of organ, tissue and cell transplantation. Its activities include the collection of international data and monitoring of practices in Europe, the transfer of knowledge and expertise between organisations and experts through training and networking and the elaboration of reports, surveys and recommendations.

Newsletter Transplant

The EDQM also participates in the collection, analysis and publication of essential data on transplantation practices and trends worldwide through the annual Newsletter Transplant. The Newsletter Transplant is an annual publication presenting international figures on organ, tissue and hematopoietic stem cell donation and transplantation activities, the management of waiting lists and authorised transplant centres. Within, you will find detailed information about the transplantation statistics of 90 countries.

EDQM on Air

Discover organ, tissues and cells donation through the stories of Anna, George, Daniel and Julia

Booklets

Carefully prepared by the European Committee on Organ Transplantation, these booklets are aimed at helping families, donors and parents, and provide independent and scientifically grounded information. These titles are available in English and French.