The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has adopted five new standards to regulate organ and tissue donation and transplantation, a strategic move that underscores its ongoing commitment to improving healthcare services and implementing global best practices in patient care.

This initiative was announced during a recent workshop conducted in collaboration with the Organ Donation and Transplantation Institute (DTI) in Spain and the National Center for Organ Donation and Human Tissue Transplantation, part of the Ministry of Health and Prevention.

The event was attended by international experts, specialists, and representatives from private hospitals in Dubai.

The new standards, which focus on human organ and tissue donation services, corneal transplantation, tissue management, and kidney transplantation, aim to improve service delivery, increase transplant success rates, and ensure the highest standards of safety and quality.

This development is part of the UAE's broader strategy to position itself, and specifically Dubai, as a regional hub for advanced healthcare across various medical fields.

Dr. Hanan Ali Obaid, Director of the Health Policies and Standards Department at DHA, emphasized the importance of the new standards in reflecting the authority's commitment to maintaining high ethical and medical standards in organ donation and transplantation services.

The aim is to enhance patient trust and satisfaction regarding the advanced healthcare services they receive in this area.

The new standards pertain to deceased organ donation following brain death (DBD), focusing on protocols for organ donation from donors declared brain dead, which are implemented in accordance with legislative frameworks and ethical considerations.

This ensures procedural safety and improves the outcomes of organ transplantation services in the emirate.

Additionally, the standards addressing organ and tissue donation from deceased donors post-cardiac death (DCD) aim to broaden the donor base by incorporating protocols for organ donation after cardiac death, which enhances the culture of organ donation and increases opportunities to save patients' lives.

Dr. Hanan Obaid indicated that the DHA's corneal transplantation standards rely on best practices for corneal donation, ensuring tissue quality and enhancing the outcomes for recipients, while the tissue management standards provide comprehensive guidelines for tissue donation and transplantation, thereby ensuring procedural safety within ethical frameworks.

The kidney transplantation standards incorporate the latest developments in medical practice, promoting donor-recipient compatibility and facilitating post-transplant care protocols.

Aisha Al-Falahi, Senior Advisor of the Organ Donation and Transplantation Program at DHA, highlighted the significance of the new standards in expanding and enhancing the efficiency of organ transplantation operations.

She noted that these developments would improve patient outcomes and quality of life, as well as the ongoing efforts of the DHA to update donation and transplantation standards and raise community awareness about the importance of organ donation.

Dr. Chloe Balisty Delpierre, Medical Director of DTI in Spain, spoke on the importance of the new standards, describing them as a significant advancement in organ donation and transplantation services in Dubai.

She expressed pride in the collaboration between DTI and DHA to promote ethical practices and enhance healthcare quality.

The workshop participants recommended increasing cooperation among healthcare institutions, government bodies, and the public to support the sustainability of organ donation and transplantation programs nationwide.

Earlier, in May 2024, DHA had announced the issuance of four health standards for organ donation and transplantation services in partnership with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in the United States, focusing on various service areas, including liver and pancreas transplantation, heart and lung transplantation, vascular composite allograft services, and live donor organ and tissue donation.

These standards are aimed at enhancing donor registries, improving transplantation success rates, and raising awareness about the life-saving impact of organ donation.