ODISSeA: a pioneer initiative to improve organ donation in Southeast Asian countries

The project ODISSeA (Organ Donation Innovative Strategies in Southeast Asia) is a pioneer initiative led by the University of Barcelona to promote an academic program on organ donation for health professionals in eight universities in Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand.

The donation rate does not even reach one donor for every million inhabitants in some countries of Southeast Asia. This training approach –adapted to the requirements of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) –will promote the institutional collaboration to improve donation rates and set a sustainable system for training on organ donation in these Asian countries. In the project ODISSeA, co-funded by the European Union program Erasmus+, other universities take part: the University of Bologna (Italy), the University of Zagreb (Croatia), DTI Foundation and the company Dinamia (Spain), expert on consulting and assessment of social projects.

ODISSeA started its journey in a first meeting held on March in the city of Davao (Philippines). Therefore, all participants in the first edition of the ODISSeA training course in Barcelona –specifically, thirty experts from Philippines, Malaysia and Myanmar- will now improve their knowledge and work on the right tools to become trainers in organ donation in their university institution, through an online and face-to-face training program.

This training approach –adapted to the requirements of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) –will promote the institutional collaboration to improve donation rates and set a sustainable system for training on organ donation in these Asian countries. In the project ODISSeA, co-funded by the European Union program Erasmus+, other universities take part: the University of Bologna (Italy), the University of Zagreb (Croatia), DTI Foundation and the company Dinamia (Spain), expert on consulting and assessment of social projects.