European Donation Day: the generosity that gives life, the commitment that makes it possible

To mark 10 October, DTI Foundation recognises donors, their families and healthcare professionals, and highlights training and cooperation as foundations for improving donation and transplantation.

People are at the heart of every donation process: someone who chooses to help, a family whose experience deserves respect, and a team of professionals entrusted with a significant responsibility. European Day for Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation is an opportunity to recognise them and renew our commitment to those waiting for a treatment opportunity.

Led by the Council of Europe through the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM), the day takes place on the second Saturday of October, falling on 10 October in 2026. This year, Cyprus hosts the celebrations from 8 to 10 October under the slogan ‘Sharing lives’.

The day promotes voluntary, non-remunerated donation. For DTI, this principle must underpin every effort to improve donation and transplantation systems: respect for people and public trust are central to our mission.

Generosity needs well-prepared systems

At DTI Foundation, we work to improve donation and transplantation worldwide through professional training, consultancy and international cooperation. Our commitment is to help turn knowledge into practice and support teams and institutions as they develop their programmes.

Training a professional, sharing experience across countries or helping a hospital improve its organisation serves a common purpose: creating the conditions for donation to translate into treatment opportunities. This work requires continuity, collaboration and sustained attention to quality.

This date therefore invites us to look beyond a single awareness day. Recognising donors and their families means sustaining our commitment throughout the year. Thanking professionals means supporting their training and their ability to work together.

A conversation worth making time for

Awareness begins close to home: seeking reliable information, asking questions and talking to loved ones about our wishes regarding donation. At DTI, we encourage informed and respectful conversations.

On European Donation Day, we thank those who donate, those who support them and those who work to make donation possible. Our commitment is to keep training professionals, sharing knowledge and building cooperation.