State PCS - Madhya Pradesh (MP PCS)

• 16 Aug 2025

World Organ Donation Day

Why in News? 

World Organ Donation Day is observed annually on 13th August to raise awareness about the life-saving impact of organ donation.  

Key Points 

• About: World Organ Donation Day honors the selfless contributions of organ donors and their families, highlighting the urgent need for more public participation. 
• Purpose: World Organ Donation Day aims to raise awareness about organ donation, highlight the critical shortage of organs for transplantation, encourage pledging as organ donors, and pay tribute to donors and their families for enabling life-saving transplants. 
• Theme for 2025: This year, the theme is "Answering The Call," as set by the Organ Donation and Transplant Alliance.  
  • It recognizes the significant work of healthcare professionals in the field while encouraging greater public involvement in organ donation. 
• Current Statistics: Over 103,993 people are waiting for organ transplants worldwide, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). 
• History of Organ Donation: The world’s first successful organ transplant took place in 1954 when Ronald Lee Herrick donated a kidney to his twin brother.  
  • The pioneering surgeon, Dr. Joseph Murray, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1990 for his groundbreaking work in organ transplantation. 
• National Organ Day in India: Initially observed on 27th November since 2010, National Organ Day in India was moved to 3rd August in 2023 to commemorate the first successful deceased-donor heart transplant in India, which occurred in 1994.

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) 

• The NOTTO, under the Ministry of Health, was set up as per the Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act, 2011. 
  • Its National Network division serves as the apex centre for coordination, procurement, distribution, and maintenance of the registry of organ and tissue donation and transplantation in India. 
  • 5 Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (ROTTOs) and 14 State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations (SOTTOs) were established to strengthen the network at the regional and state levels.