Promotion of donations

In France, over 20,000 people are on the waiting list for an organ transplant. Organ donation is based on the principle of presumed consent: everyone is considered a donor, unless they have expressed their refusal during their lifetime. To ensure that this wish is known, it is essential to discuss it with those close to you. Everyone is concerned: we are all donors, and we may all need a transplant one day. There is no contraindication to donation: whatever your age or state of health, you can save lives. It's an act of solidarity that relies on the generosity of donors and the commitment of each and every one of us, in the service of patients who need it most. To meet these challenges, every year the Agence de la biomédecine deploys a wide range of measures to promote donation, in accordance with the French Bioethics Act.

To put the issue of organ donation and transplantation on the media agenda, the Agence de la Biomédecine designs and distributes national communication campaigns. Their aim: to encourage everyone to find out more, to think about their position, and above all to talk about it with their loved ones. These campaigns are widely distributed (radio, TV, press, posters, social networks, etc.) and are developed in close collaboration with healthcare professionals, patient associations and institutional partners. On the ground, hospital coordination teams play an essential role: present in 185 health establishments, they provide the link between the various players in the donation-to-transplant chain, supporting families and relaying awareness-raising messages.

The national day of reflection on organ donation and recognition of donors, organized each year on June 22 at the initiative of the Agence, invites French people to remind their loved ones that they are organ donors after their death. Although 80% of French people say they are in favor of organ donation, fewer than one in two have talked about it with their loved ones, who are nevertheless systematically approached in the event of death, to find out the wishes of the deceased. Talking to your loved ones is therefore essential if you are to exercise your right to donate and meet the needs of patients awaiting transplants. If you want to be able to save lives after your death, you have to say so! Since 2019, the French have also been invited to wear a green ribbon on June 22 and throughout the year, as a symbol of mobilization in favor of organ and tissue donation.

"To save lives, remind your loved ones that you are an organ donor*" "All donors, all recipients**" "French support for the principle of organ transplantation and donation does not erode from one year to the next, which is a source of hope and satisfaction for all those involved in the donation chain, especially as the need continues to grow: today, there are around 20,000 patients waiting for transplants in our country!",* Marine Jeantet, Executive Director