Cyprus announces new transplant action plan following European Organ Donation Day

Cyprus marked the 25th European Day for Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation in Paphos with the theme "Sharing lives." During the event, Health Minister Neofytos Charalambidis announced a new National Action Plan to improve the transplant sector. Key initiatives include developing an integrated information system for transplant registries and training intensive care specialists in Madrid, in cooperation with the Spanish National Transplant Organization, to better identify and manage potential donors.

Official statistics reveal that Cyprus has performed 1,171 kidney transplants from 1,108 donors to date, while 181 grafts have been offered to other countries. Additionally, the Karaiskakio Foundation's Bone Marrow Volunteer Donor Registry now exceeds 200,000 members. Despite these figures, local reports highlight a significant disparity between the success of living donations and the low rates of deceased organ donation. While Cyprus ranks poorly globally in post-mortem donations—averaging only seven per year compared to 53 in Spain—the government aims to use the new action plan and institutional reforms to strengthen the system and encourage higher participation.