DTI Foundation participated this week in the 58th ESPGHAN Annual Meeting 2026 in Lille, France, one of the leading international congresses in paediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition.

Our Medical Director, Dr. Chloë Ballesté Delpierre, delivered a presentation focused on a major global health challenge: improving access to paediatric liver transplantation worldwide.

The global challenge of paediatric liver transplantation

Liver transplantation in children offers a life-saving opportunity for paediatric patients with severe liver disease. However, access to this treatment remains deeply unequal across countries and regions.

During the presentation, the scale of this gap was clearly highlighted: globally, the number of liver transplants performed still covers less than 10% of estimated global needs.

This figure reflects the urgent need to strengthen organ donation systems, improve donor identification, consolidate efficient clinical pathways, and train the healthcare professionals who make transplantation possible.

Spain’s role in organ donation and transplantation

Spain contributes approximately 4% of transplants performed worldwide, a particularly significant figure considering its population size. This achievement reflects the strength of the Spanish organ donation and transplantation model, based on hospital coordination, specialized training, healthcare system organization and the commitment of healthcare professionals.

The Spanish model shows that improving access to transplantation does not depend only on technology. It also requires planning, professional capacity-building and the development of effective organ donation systems.

Training and international cooperation to save more lives

At DTI Foundation, we work to help close this global gap through training in organ donation and transplantation, international consultancy and knowledge transfer.

Our goal is to strengthen the capacities of hospitals, healthcare professionals and institutions to develop sustainable donation and transplantation programmes adapted to the needs of each country.

Improving access to paediatric liver transplantation requires trained professionals, prepared hospitals, efficient donation systems, clear clinical protocols and health policies designed to ensure that more patients can benefit from transplantation.

DTI Foundation at ESPGHAN 2026

DTI Foundation’s participation at ESPGHAN 2026 reinforces our commitment to improving organ donation and transplantation systems worldwide, particularly in settings where access to transplantation remains limited.

Every trained professional, every strengthened programme and every supported country represents one more step toward a shared goal: enabling more children to access liver transplantation and a new opportunity for life.