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Current status of transplantation and organ donation in the Balkans-could it be improved through the South-eastern European health Network (SEEHN) initiative?

Spasovski, Goce ; Busic, Mirela ; Pipero, Pellumb ; Sarajlic, Lada ; Popovic, Andreja Subotic ; Dzhaleva, Theodora ; Codreanu, Igor ; Ratkovic, Marina Mugosa ; Popescu, Irinel and Lausevic, Mirjana , et al. (2012) In Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 27(4). p.1319-1323
Abstract
Organ donation and transplantation activity in the majority of Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria) are lagging far behind international averages. Inadequate financial resources, unclear regional data and lack of governmental infrastructure are some of the issues which should be recognized to draw attention and problem-solving decisions. The Regional Health Development Centre (RHDC) Croatia, being a technical body of the South-eastern European Health Network (SEEHN), was created in 2011 after Croatia's great success in the field over the last 10 years. The aim of the RHDC is to network the region and provide individualized country support to increase... (More)
Organ donation and transplantation activity in the majority of Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria) are lagging far behind international averages. Inadequate financial resources, unclear regional data and lack of governmental infrastructure are some of the issues which should be recognized to draw attention and problem-solving decisions. The Regional Health Development Centre (RHDC) Croatia, being a technical body of the South-eastern European Health Network (SEEHN), was created in 2011 after Croatia's great success in the field over the last 10 years. The aim of the RHDC is to network the region and provide individualized country support to increase donation and transplantation activity in collaboration with professional societies (European Society of Organ Transplantation, European Transplant Coordinators Organization, The Transplantation Society and International Society of Organ Donation and Procurement). Such an improvement would in turn likely prevent transplant tourism. The regional data from 2010 show large discrepancies in donation and transplantation activities within geographically neighbouring countries. Thus, proposed actions to improve regional donation and transplantation rates include advancing living and deceased donation through regular public education, creating current and accurate waiting lists and increasing number of educated transplant nephrologists and hospital coordinators. In addition to the effort from the professionals, the governmental support with allocated funds per deceased donation, updated legislation and established national coordinating body is ultimately recognized as essential for the successful donation and transplantation programmes. By continuous RHDC communication and support asked from the health authorities and motivated professionals from the SEEHN initiative, an increased number of deceased as well as living donor kidney transplantations in the future should be more realistic. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Balkans, deceased donation, kidney transplantation, organ commercialism, SEE Health Network, transplant tourism
in
Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation
volume
27
issue
4
pages
1319 - 1323
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000302310700011
  • scopus:84859357963
ISSN
1460-2385
DOI
10.1093/ndt/gfs071
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b59208bf-fefe-4936-a876-2ad1d7382f4b (old id 2587777)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:58:48
date last changed
2022-04-06 01:55:20
@article{b59208bf-fefe-4936-a876-2ad1d7382f4b,
  abstract     = {{Organ donation and transplantation activity in the majority of Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria) are lagging far behind international averages. Inadequate financial resources, unclear regional data and lack of governmental infrastructure are some of the issues which should be recognized to draw attention and problem-solving decisions. The Regional Health Development Centre (RHDC) Croatia, being a technical body of the South-eastern European Health Network (SEEHN), was created in 2011 after Croatia's great success in the field over the last 10 years. The aim of the RHDC is to network the region and provide individualized country support to increase donation and transplantation activity in collaboration with professional societies (European Society of Organ Transplantation, European Transplant Coordinators Organization, The Transplantation Society and International Society of Organ Donation and Procurement). Such an improvement would in turn likely prevent transplant tourism. The regional data from 2010 show large discrepancies in donation and transplantation activities within geographically neighbouring countries. Thus, proposed actions to improve regional donation and transplantation rates include advancing living and deceased donation through regular public education, creating current and accurate waiting lists and increasing number of educated transplant nephrologists and hospital coordinators. In addition to the effort from the professionals, the governmental support with allocated funds per deceased donation, updated legislation and established national coordinating body is ultimately recognized as essential for the successful donation and transplantation programmes. By continuous RHDC communication and support asked from the health authorities and motivated professionals from the SEEHN initiative, an increased number of deceased as well as living donor kidney transplantations in the future should be more realistic.}},
  author       = {{Spasovski, Goce and Busic, Mirela and Pipero, Pellumb and Sarajlic, Lada and Popovic, Andreja Subotic and Dzhaleva, Theodora and Codreanu, Igor and Ratkovic, Marina Mugosa and Popescu, Irinel and Lausevic, Mirjana and Avsec, Danica and Raley, Lydia and Ekberg, Henrik and Ploeg, Rutger and Delmonico, Francis}},
  issn         = {{1460-2385}},
  keywords     = {{Balkans; deceased donation; kidney transplantation; organ commercialism; SEE Health Network; transplant tourism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1319--1323}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation}},
  title        = {{Current status of transplantation and organ donation in the Balkans-could it be improved through the South-eastern European health Network (SEEHN) initiative?}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/3085661/3173552.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/ndt/gfs071}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}