Dubai Health Authority Introduces New Standards for Organ and Tissue Donation

Shahba Mayyeri -

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA), in partnership with the Donation and Transplantation Institute (DTI) Foundation - Spain and the National Center of Organ Donation and Transplant under the UAE Ministry of Health & Prevention, hosted a pivotal workshop to introduce newly developed standards for organ and tissue donation and transplantation. The event underscored DHA’s commitment to advancing healthcare services and promoting ethical practices in transplantation.

The workshop brought together leading healthcare professionals to discuss five updated DHA standards:

  1. Donation after Brain Death (DBD) – Version 2: Enhances ethical considerations and safety protocols for organ donation from brain-dead donors.
  2. Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) – Version 1: Expands donor eligibility by incorporating circulatory death cases.
  3. Corneal Transplant Services: Establishes best practices to protect tissue quality and optimize recipient outcomes.
  4. Tissue Management: Introduces comprehensive guidelines for tissue collection, processing, and transplantation.
  5. Kidney Transplant Services – Version 2: Implements the latest medical advancements for improved donor-recipient matching and post-transplant care.

Additionally, in collaboration with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), DHA has developed four more standards to streamline transplantation services, covering liver, pancreas, heart, lung, limb transplants, and living donor organ donations.

Dr. Hanan Obaid, Director of Health Policies and Standards at DHA, highlighted the importance of these initiatives:

“These standards reflect DHA’s commitment to ethical and innovative transplantation practices, ensuring the highest medical benchmarks and improving patient outcomes.”

Dr. Chloë Ballesté Delpierre, Medical Director at DTI Foundation, praised the DHA’s efforts:

“This initiative strengthens international cooperation, advancing the UAE’s leadership in healthcare excellence.”

The workshop concluded with a call to action for increased collaboration among healthcare institutions, government agencies, and the public to sustain and enhance organ donation programs in the UAE.

News Source: Dubai Media Office