This Commonwealth Day (14th March) NHS Blood and Transplant launched a new international project called Tribute to Life – bringing together Commonwealth nations to share expertise in organ donation and transplantation, ultimately saving more lives.
The Commonwealth Tribute to Life Project is the culmination of three years’ work and represents a huge step towards obtaining health equality, both within the UK and the Commonwealth.
This project provides a framework for the sharing of knowledge and expertise to increase ethical organ donation and transplantation. It seeks to further health equality for the benefit of all Commonwealth citizens.
Countries are pledging to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that will take effect at the start of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, with 42 of the 54 countries making the pledge so far.
Participants from around the Commonwealth held a virtual launch event with the official launch by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid MP.
An official legacy project of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and part of the Games ‘United By Birmingham 2022’ community programme, Tribute to Life presents a unique opportunity to increase levels of organ and tissue donation and transplantation globally.
In the United Kingdom, 6,230 people are waiting for an organ transplant, of this number 1,934 are from a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic minority background, which represents around 32% of the transplant list.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid MP, formally launched the project. He said: “The Commonwealth Tribute to Life is the culmination of three years of dedicated work by NHS Blood and Transplant, Dr Dale Gardiner and Dr Satya Sharma MBE DL and I’m delighted to launch this initiative.
“Through sharing knowledge and awareness around organ and tissue donation and transplantation, Commonwealth nations can work together to save and transform the lives of thousands of patients.
“As part of this, we want people from all communities, but especially those from ethnic minority backgrounds, to discuss organ donation and make the life-saving choice to become a donor.
Dr Satya Sharma MBE, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands has Chaired the project and praised its success at its launch. He said: “The 2022 Commonwealth Games are committed to bringing people together and celebrating the diversity of both the West Midlands and the Commonwealth.”
The Memorandum of Understanding will come into force just before the start of the Commonwealth Games in July 2022.
