[CLSTR]
< Back to situations

Monitor this situation.

[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [HEALTH]

17 clusters · 82 sources · 84 days · First seen · Last updated

Italy organ donation and healthcare trends

Overview

By late 2026, Italy continues to face divergent trends in organ transplantation. While national refusal rates for organ donation during identity card renewals rose to 41% in late 2026, new data from the Newsletter Transplant 2026 report reveals Italy ranks second in Europe among large comparable nations. With 30.9 deceased donors per million inhabitants in 2025, Italy leads France, the United Kingdom, and Germany, trailing only Spain. Italy also leads the EU in absolute numbers for liver (1,753) and heart (451) transplants.

Regional medical successes continue, including the resumption of organ donation at Gravina Hospital in Caltagirone through a multidisciplinary collaboration with ISMETT. In Naples, Monaldi Hospital completed its second Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) procedure, retrieving a liver and corneas. Additionally, Cesena’s Bufalini Hospital celebrated ten years of managing ‘heart-stop’ donations via its Ecmo Team, a model now used nationwide.

To combat refusal rates and promote a culture of solidarity, awareness initiatives are expanding. In Modica, a partnership between AVIS and the local school system aims to integrate blood and stem cell donation education into the curriculum. Organizations like AIDO, AVIS, and ADMO are also hosting events to address misconceptions, particularly among youth. Cultural efforts include the docufilm ‘Vite in campo’, presented at the Rome Film Festival, which highlights the impact of transplantation through the experiences of athletes.

Entities

Centro Nazionale Trapianti · Italy · AIDO · AVIS · ASST Rhodense

Timeline

  1. [HEALTH] 7 sources
    Aned official highlights impact of organ donation

    Aned official Roberta Borrelli highlights the transformative power of organ donation during the Rome Film Festival presentation of the docufilm ‘Vite in campo’.

  2. [HEALTH] 9 sources
    Italy blood and organ donation initiatives see local growth

    Blood and organ donation efforts are seeing significant activity across Italy, including a 500% rise in multi-organ procurements in Cagliari and various community milestones in Crotone, Meduno, and Calolziocort

  3. [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Italy ranks second in Europe for organ donation rates

    Italy ranks second in Europe for organ donation rates and leads the EU in total liver and heart transplants, according to the 2026 Newsletter Transplant report.

  4. [CULTURE] 2 sources
    Italian schools implement new blood donation and safety initiatives

    Italian educational institutions are advancing student welfare through new initiatives: Istituto Grimaldi in Modica is launching blood donation education with AVIS, while Rho's San Carlo e San Michele school is

  5. [HEALTH] 8 sources
    Caltagirone's Gravina Hospital resumes organ donation with successful liver procurement

    The Gravina Hospital in Caltagirone has resumed organ donation activities following a successful liver procurement facilitated by a collaboration between local staff and Ismett Palermo.

  6. [HEALTH] 4 sources
    Italy: Organizations promote organ and blood donation culture

    Italian health organizations are launching initiatives to promote organ, blood, and bone marrow donation through educational events, film screenings, and volunteer recognition programs.

  7. [HEALTH] 8 sources
    Italy healthcare: New dialysis unit and organ donation milestones

    Italy reports diverse healthcare updates, including a new dialysis unit in Mondovì, significant organ donation milestones in Fermo and Brindisi, and regional health reforms in Basilicata.

  8. [HEALTH] 5 sources
    Centro Nazionale Trapianti issues new organ donation guidelines

    Italy's National Transplant Center has issued new clinical guidelines to improve lung donor management and enhance safety protocols for living kidney donors.

  9. [HEALTH] 13 sources
    Italy blood and organ donation initiatives expand across regions

    Multiple blood and organ donation initiatives are underway across Italy, including successful DCD organ retrieval in Naples and community-driven blood drives in Crotone, Monza, and Gualdo Tadino.

  10. [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Italy reports record organ transplants amid ongoing donation shortages

    Italy reports a record 4,678 organ transplants in 2025, yet over 8,400 people remain on waiting lists as donation refusal rates hover around 40% at municipal registries.

  11. [CULTURE] 8 sources
    Italian municipalities promote culture of giving and organ donation

    Italian municipalities are promoting donation and solidarity through local initiatives, including Bollate's participation in the Day of Giving and Gallarate's new organ donation information totem.

  12. [HEALTH] 5 sources
    Italy faces rising organ donation refusals amid regional transplant growth

    While organ donation refusals in Italy rose to 41% in early 2026, impacting waiting lists in regions like Lombardy, Liguria has reported a significant increase in successful transplants and DCD donations.

  13. [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Organ donations in Italy save multiple lives in Rho and Syracuse

    Organ and tissue donations in Rho and Syracuse, Italy, have saved multiple lives and provided critical transplants for patients on waiting lists.

  14. [HEALTH] 11 sources
    Italy hospitals report multiple successful organ donation procedures

    Multiple successful multi-organ and tissue donation procedures have been completed at hospitals in Rho, Nuoro, and Siracusa, saving or improving the lives of numerous patients in Italy.

  15. [HEALTH] 5 sources
    Italy ranks second in Europe for organ donation

    Italy ranks second in Europe for organ donation, but faces high waiting lists and a critical shortage of 0+ and 0- blood types at the Gemelli hospital.

  16. [HEALTH] 3 sources
    India's organ donation shows gender gap: women donate, men receive

    In 2025 India saw 68% of living organ donors were women while 78% of recipients were men; kidneys and livers dominated, with a record 20,138 transplants performed.

  17. [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Italy records highest organ transplants in 2025, second in Europe

    Italy performed a record 4,678 organ transplants in 2025, ranking second in Europe. Donations after cardiac death rose sharply, live donations increased, and 8,401 patients remained on waiting lists.

Sources

agenziagiornalisticaopinione.it · anteprima24.it · baraondanews.it · belvederenews.net · blunote.it · borderline24.com · BriefingWire.com · brindisireport.it · cesenatoday.it · codirp.it · coratoviva.it · cronachenuoresi.it · crotoneok.it · cuneodice.it · dietrolanotizia.it · doctor33.it · ennalive.it · estense.com · giglionews.it · gualdonews.it · ilfattonisseno.it · ilfogliettone.it · ilgiornalenuovo.it · ilnotiziario.net · ilpais.it · ilrestodelcarlino.it · insalutenews.it · lacronaca24.it · lagazzettadelcalatino.it · lagazzettaennese.it · lagazzettatorinese.it · lagone.it · lamilano.it · lanovitaonline.it · lapresse.it · lecconetweek.it · leggimionline.it · linkoristano.it · livesicilia.it · mantovauno.it · milano.notizie.it · milanotoday.it · napolitan.it · newindianexpress.com · newtuscia.it · noinotizie.it · nordest24.it · notiziaoggi.it

This summary has been updated 17 times: see revision history