Honourable Chair, distinguished delegates:

The Transplantation Society supports WHO’s battle against non‑communicable diseases. When NCDs cause organ failure, transplantation is the most effective, cost‑saving therapy, restoring health and productivity. Embedding transplantation and donation within universal health coverage strengthens resilience, equity, and fiscal sustainability.

Over 85 million people live with chronic kidney disease, while advanced liver, lung, and heart conditions claim many more millions of lives annually.

Eligible kidney‑failure patients should be offered transplantation, delivering superior survival, quality of life, and lower environmental impact than dialysis; UK data show £241 000 saved over ten years. Comparable economic and survival gains accrue for other organ transplants, including an 8.5‑year life‑expectancy gain after a heart transplant.

We urge Member States to prioritize transplantation and enact robust deceased and living donor transplant legislation.