TPM International Educational Program: twenty-five years promoting organ donations to save more lives around the world

A worldwide reference for organ and tissue donation for transplantation

This educational program that wants to promote quantity, quality and efficiency in donation and transplantation through specialized training, is directed by Martí Manyalich, professor at the Department of Surgery and Surgical Specializations of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Barcelona, director of the DTI Foundation (Donation & Transplantation Institute), with headquarters at the Barcelona Science Park, and advisor for transplantations at the Clinic Hospital of Barcelona. The team led by professor Manyalich has worked for 25 years to develop and export the Spanish model which has been consolidated as worldwide leader in the world of organ donations for transplantations.

In this scenario, TMP will celebrate its 25th anniversary with an institutional event taking place next Monday, November 14 at 11 h, at the Aula Magna of the University of Barcelona, chaired by the acting rector Jordi Alberch, with the participation of professor Martí Manyalich, director of TPM and DTI Foundation; Eduard Martín, adjunct doctor and head of training in the Spanish National Transplant Organization (ONT); Jaume Tort, director of the Catalan Transplant Organization Donation and Transplantation (OCATT), and Ricard Valero, academic director of TPM. In the event the signing of the collaboration agreement between TPM-DTI Foundation and the 303 Hospital - Nanning (China) will also take place.

Promoting organ donation to save more lives

The TPM program, which adapts courses to the specific needs of every country, covers master degrees, postgraduate studies and certificates of specialization in all fields of training. This program is currently taught in Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese and has created an international network of high qualified professionals that support the improvement of organ donation programs in European, American, Asian countries and Australia, with a special interest in raising the donation rate in countries where it is still low. The content of these courses, which are constantly updated, has a wide range of educational material, with their own team of experts for practical sessions.

In collaboration with other European partners, TPM has promoted the European Training Program on Organ Donation (ETPOD), co-funded by the Heath and Food Safety European Commission. It also represents the official training in the field of transplantation coordination of the French Biomedicine Agency, the Italian National Transplant Centre and the Ministry of Health-Authority for Blood and Transplantation Services (Portugal). The TPM program was honored in 1994 with the distinction of the European Council Transplant Commission and was awarded in 2008 by The Transplantation Society (TTS) for its education and training within the field of biomedicine.

There is no transplant without donor

Regarding solidarity, the death of a donor means the continuation of life for another patient waiting for a compatible organ. The donation process allows adding a value to an organ or tissue of a dead person. Raising donation around the world, stopping organ trafficking, improving quality of life and supporting regenerative medicine are the goals of DTI Foundation - Donation & Transplantation Institute, a private non-profit making entity, founded in 2008 and directed by professor Martí Manyalich and with its headquarters in the Barcelona Science Park. In 2010, TPM joined DTI Foundation as an international educational program of the entity.

This entity wants to respond to the needs of lots of countries worldwide in the development of organ, tissue and cell donation and transplantation. DTI Foundation advices, trains and supports professionals from public and private entities of the international field to develop and promote research, programs, networks and services of organ, tissue and cell donation, with special interest in contributing to raise the donation rate in countries where it is still low.

Promoting organ donation in Egypt, Lebanon and Morocco

DTI Foundation has promoted the European-Mediterranean Postgraduate Program on Organ Donation and Transplantation (EMPODat), a TEMPUS project led by professor Martí Manyalich of the University of Barcelona, and funded by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission. EMPODat, carried out from 2013 to 2015 wanted to improve organ donation and transplantation in Egypt, Lebanon and Morocco, through the training of health professionals of this field and the development of sustainable systems for high quality transplantations in Euro-Mediterranean countries. In total, twelve teaching experts and seventy-three students have been trained in the specialization of organ donation and transplantation thanks to EMPODat, a program that has continuity at the Cairo University (Egypt) through Professional Training Program in Organ Donation and Transplantation (PTPODaT).

In Lebanon, EMPODaT highly promoted social sensitivity and activities on donation and transplantation in this Mediterranean country, improving the indicators that are related to this medical specialization.

Other European projects that are active and have been promoted by DTI Foundation are EUDONORGAN (2016-2019), led by the University of Barcelona and Bosch i Gimpera Foundation, aiming to raise social sensitivity towards organ donation in the European Union and neighboring countries; EU-CHINA KetLOD (2016-2018), promoted by the University of Barcelona to strengthen collaboration with China regarding organ donation, and SeeLife (2016-2018), a training and educational program applied in Latvia and Bulgaria.