WASHINGTON, CMC – Spain has signed an agreement with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to strengthen organ donation and transplants in the Americas, including the Caribbean.
“Spain is a vital partner of PAHO thanks to its support of key initiatives in the region,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, PAHO director, at the signing of the memorandum of understanding with Spain’s Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, at PAHO headquarters on Monday.
PAHO said various areas of cooperation were discussed, including primary health care; vaccine production; medicines and health technologies in the region; antimicrobial resistance; equity, gender, and cultural diversity, and vaccination against COVID-19.
“Spain is a constant ally of the region,” said Darias, noting that the new agreement will facilitate a meeting of the Ibero-American Network/Council for Donation and Transplant, a key initiative to improve legislative matters, professional training, and the discussion of ethical and social aspects of organ donation and transplant.
In 2021, more than 58,000 transplants were performed in the Americas, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation (GODT), managed by the National Transplant Organization (ONT) of Spain.
“This number is not enough to meet demand, leaving thousands of people on the waiting list,” PAHO said.
As part of the memorandum, activities were also agreed upon to support PAHO’s Strategy and Plan of Action on Donation and Equitable Access to Organ, Tissue, and Cell Transplants 2019-2030.
Technical teams of PAHO and ONT will implement the memorandum agreements, an agency of the Ministry of Health of Spain and WHO collaborating center, recognized globally as a highly effective model for addressing organ shortages.
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