National Donor Day as Reminder of Importance of Transplantation

With an installation 1,800 chairs at the Trg Republike Square in Belgrade, occupied by patients who are waiting for the most important call, with their personal messages that testify to the hardships of living in uncertainty and their hope for a better future, 6th June, the National Donor Day, was marked.

This day was established as part of The Most Important Call in Life campaign, which was jointly launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia, Hemofarm Group, and Hemofarm Foundation, together with patient associations. The goal of the campaign is to increase the number of donors and transplants, to adopt legislation regulating this area, and to secure Serbia's membership in the Eurotransplant organisation.

‘We mark the National Donor Day with around 1,800 patients on the transplant waiting list, which is encouraging considering that the data on the number of transplants in Serbia in recent years has not been commendable.’ People's prejudices, fear, and stigma remain the largest obstacle to increasing the number of organ donors and transplants. As a society, we must normalise conversations about this topic, as it often happens that families are unaware of the deceased's stance on organ donation. I understand that it is difficult to initiate a conversation about this, but openly discussing our wishes and decisions is crucial for saving lives,’ said Zlatibor Lončar, Minister of Health in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, adding that ‘a working party has been established that is actively working on amendments and addenda to the law, with the aim of improving the legal framework to enhance the donorship system.’

‘Since 2016, we have been running a campaign to increase the number of organ donors and transplants. As an individual, I deeply believe that each of us can make a tremendous contribution to the world around us. I am talking about the small and large acts each of us does for our loved ones, as well as for people we don't even know. Humanity must not and cannot have boundaries, and organ donation is undoubtedly the greatest example of humanity, as it helps others to continue living. I therefore invite you to join us and support organ donation, because sometimes it takes just one act of humanity to change someone's life for the better,’ said Ronald Seeliger, Hemofarm CEO.

When The Most Important Call in Life campaign was first launched in 2016, the number of donors tripled. The second half of the game for life continued in 2019, when our top athletes were invited to join the initiative. Appealing to national pride, the tide was turned at a time when neighbouring countries had significantly higher numbers of organ donors compared to Serbia, while we were at the very bottom of the European rankings. ‘I am a donor too! Because I cheer for Serbia,’ was the message then conveyed by our champions, such as Ivana Španović, Maja Ognjenović, Dejan Stanković, Dejan Savić, Branko Lazić, Dragan Škrbić, and Zoran Tošić. These accomplished athletes contributed to spreading the truth and fighting prejudice, helping the increase of donor numbers and saving lives.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic – the largest public health crisis then broke out, bringing the national transplantation program to a near standstill. Only two transplantations were performed in 2022. This prompted the relaunch of the campaign in 2023, raising the number of transplantation to 38 that year. Last year, the campaign continued with an installation of 2,000 hourglasses, symbolising about 2,000 people waiting for an organ transplant. With the slogan ‘Let’s Become Better People. Be a Donor,’ the campaign was once again a wake-up call for the public, with the aim of creating a society of responsible and solidary people, who embrace donorship as the most humane act. Thanks to the campaign and the consent of nine families, 44 transplants were performed in 2024. Additionally, the Serbian Orthodox Church publicly declared its position, stating: ‘The Church agrees with organ transplantation if the donor voluntarily pledged their organs and the family gave posthumous consent.’

Since the beginning of 2025, with the consent of nine donors, 40 organ transplants have been carried out in Serbia, which is more than in the same period last year. Ten families refused to donate the organs of their deceased relatives.

According to the Office of Biomedicine of the Serbian Ministry of Health, around 1,800 people in Serbia are currently waiting for a new organ – among them, approximately 15 are children.

Let’s Become Better People. Be a donor.