TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
THE CONTEXT: At the 77th World Health Assembly, member states approved a draft resolution aimed at improving the availability of organ transplantation, including human cells and tissues.
EXPLANATION:
- Despite advancements over the past two decades, the resolution acknowledges persistent inequities in access to transplantation among member countries, affecting both developing and developed nations.
Key Points of the Resolution
- The resolution tasks countries with developing a comprehensive global strategy to be presented for adoption in 2026.
- This strategy aims to address the disparities in organ transplantation access and to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities for transplantation.
- To increase public awareness and encourage donations, the resolution proposes the establishment of a World Donor Day.
- This initiative aims to highlight the importance of organ donation and to foster a culture of donation worldwide.
- The resolution urges member states to increase the availability of human cells, tissues, and organs for transplantation in alignment with the World Health Organization (WHO) Guiding Principles on Human Cell, Tissue, and Organ Transplantation.
- It emphasizes the need to maximize the therapeutic potential of deceased donations.
- The draft encourages the donation of organs after the neurological determination of death and, where appropriate, after the circulatory determination of death.
- This approach aims to expand the pool of available organs and enhance transplantation rates.
Integration into Healthcare Systems
- Member states committed to integrating organ transplantation into healthcare systems, ensuring that deceased donation is routinely considered.
- This integration is crucial for increasing the availability of organs for transplantation and for improving overall transplantation infrastructure.
- The resolution includes measures to prevent the exploitation of living donors, ensuring adequate follow-up and support for donors.
- This aspect addresses ethical concerns and aims to protect the rights and health of living donors.
Establishment of an Expert Committee
- The resolution calls for the director-general to establish an expert committee under the Regulations for Expert Advisory Panels and Committees.
- This committee will assist the Secretariat in developing and implementing the proposed global strategy, providing expert guidance and oversight.
Current Organ Donation Landscape
- According to data from the Union health ministry, organ donations in India increased from 4,990 in 2013 to 16,041 in 2022.
- Despite this progress, the country still struggles to meet the demand for kidney transplants, with an annual need for 200,000 kidney transplants highlighting the urgency of the situation.
- The WHO press release notes that, according to 2022 data from the Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation, more than 150,000 solid organ transplants are performed worldwide annually.
- This figure represents less than 10% of global needs but marks a 52% increase compared to 2010.
- The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound negative effect on donation and transplantation activities.
- The resolution emphasizes the need to strengthen the resilience of healthcare systems to better withstand such disruptions in the future.
Addressing Organ Trafficking
- The resolution highlights that insufficient access to transplantation therapies is a root cause of trafficking in persons for organ removal and trafficking in human organs.
- These practices undermine human rights and pose serious public health risks.
- The draft urges member states to establish official international cooperation for the exchange of human cells, tissues, organs, or transplant services.
- This cooperation should be based on the principles of reciprocity and solidarity, facilitating universal access to transplantation therapies.
World Health Assembly
- The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of WHO.
- It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States and focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.
- The main functions of the World Health Assembly are:
- To determine the policies of the Organization,
- Appoint the Director-General,
- Supervise financial policies, and
- Review and approve the proposed programme budget.
- The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.
World Health Organisation:
- The World Health Organization (WHO), established in 1948, is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
- It connects nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable – so everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health.
- Its headquarters are situated in Geneva, Switzerland.
- There are 194 Member States, 150 country offices, six regional offices.
- It began functioning on April 7, 1948 – a date now being celebrated every year as World Health Day.
