Organ transplants: 9th France-Maghreb international symposium organized by the Agence de la biomédecine in Paris

The 9th Colloque France Maghreb sur la transplantation, organized by the Agence de la biomédecine in close collaboration with medical teams from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, will be held at the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris on May 20 and 21. The epidemic context led to this year's theme: COVID 19: how to maintain and perpetuate donation and transplantation during and after a crisis?

Since 2003, the Colloque France-Maghreb (CFM) has provided a forum for exchanges between North African countries and France on organ, tissue and cell transplantation. A veritable think-tank for cooperation programs and policies in the field of donation and transplantation, the colloquium takes place every two years, and is organized in turn in each of the participating countries.

Through the exchanges it generates, this symposium helps to improve the donation and transplantation activity in each country. It is neither a medical congress nor a scientific event, but a meeting dedicated to operational cooperation to promote transplantation and procurement activities in hospital practices. The thematic groups, formed in the run-up to the symposium and which have met over the last 6 months, are meeting in Paris this year to report on their work and formulate recommendations for implementation in their respective countries.

By coordinating this network, the Agence de la biomédecine is demonstrating not only its international dimension, but also its ability to federate expertise to advance donation and transplantation," explains Prof. Michel Tsimaratos, Deputy Director in charge of medical and scientific policy at the Agence de la biomédecine. Over and above the specificities of each country, the issues at stake are the same: raising public awareness of the importance of donation, and safeguarding transplantation activity in care establishments. Given the close ties between our populations, working together on best practices and recommendations with Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia is, more than ever, part of the Agence de la biomédecine's international scientific strategy".

Under the aegis of a steering committee, a scientific committee and an organizing committee, 4 groups, each led by a different country, will present their work this year:

• Working Group 1: Avenues of improvement for all donors, led by France.

• Working Group 2: Improving registration on waiting lists for all patients, especially pediatric patients: all organs combined. This group is led by Tunisia.

• Working Group 3: Overall arrangements for setting up and supporting organ procurement and transplantation activities - Hospital structures: organization and role of the hospital, authorities, management and supervisory bodies. This group is led by Morocco.

• Working Group 4: Overall support for transplantation activities - Financing in normal times and in times of crisis: complementary measures and pooling of human, material and financial resources. This group is led by Algeria.

The symposium takes place on Friday May 20 and Saturday May 21 at the Cité internationale universitaire in Paris. For further details: www.agence-biomedecine.fr