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World Organ Donation Day 2025: India achieved a remarkable milestone of performing over 18,900 organ transplants in 2024 and ranks third globally, behind only the US and China.
World Organ Donation Day 2025 theme is ‘Answering The Call.’ (AI generated image)
World Organ Donation Day 2025: World Organ Donation Day is observed each year on August 13 and is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of organ donation and to educating and encouraging people to register as donors. The day also honours organ donors and their families for their selfless contribution to help another person live.
World Organ Donation Day 2025 Theme
The theme of World Organ Donation Day this year is “Answering The Call”. As per the Organ Donation and Transplant Alliance, the theme serves as a tribute to the professionals in the field as well as a call for increased collaboration. The theme honours the extraordinary professionals who are dedicated to advancing organ donation and transplantation.
World Organ Donation Day History
World Organ Donation Day is one of the most important global events that commemorate the first-ever living donor organ transplant done in 1954 in the USA. The donor, Ronald Lee Herrick, donated his kidney to his twin brother, and Dr Joseph Murray carried out this successful organ transplant.
This day is celebrated to raise organ donation awareness and encourage more people to come forward and donate. However, many countries observe this day according to their history of organ donation.
In India, the first successful deceased organ donation took place on August 3, 1994. Hence, Organ Donation Day in India has been observed on 3rd August starting from 2023.
Before that year, National Organ Donation Day was celebrated on 27th November under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO).
Significance of World Organ Donation Day
The main reason behind celebrating this day is to encourage more people to come forward for the noble cause and educate them about its impact on the recipient’s life.
The day focuses on lowering the gap between the supply and demand of organs.
The day honours the contribution of organ donors and their families for saving the life of the recipient.
This day also aims to address various misconceptions and notions regarding organ donation and inspire people to come forward and register themselves as donors.
Types of Organ Donations
There are 4 types of organ donations, including living donation, deceased donation, tissue donation, and Vascularised Composite Allografts (VCAs).
Living donation means donating an organ or part of an organ while the donor is still alive, while deceased donation occurs after the donor’s death.
On the other hand, tissue donation can consist of a wider range of biological materials like corneas, skin, bone, and heart valves, and VCAs are a newer type of transplant, which involves multiple structures like skin, bone, muscles, and nerves.
Organ Donation in India
Under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) Organ Donation Day in India has been observed on 3rd August starting from 2023 to commemorate the first successful deceased organ donation on August 3, 1994.
Since the launch of the Aadhaar-based NOTTO online pledge website in 2023, nearly 3.30 lakh citizens have registered themselves to be organ donors.
India achieved a remarkable milestone of performing over 18,900 organ transplants in 2024 and ranks third globally in the total number of organ transplants, behind only the US and China.
World Organ Donation Day 2025: How You Can Help
- Register as an Organ Donor: Sign up through official portals like the NOTTO website or your state’s health department to pledge your organs.
- Inform Your Family: Make sure your family knows your decision, as their consent is often required at the time of donation.
- Carry a Donor Card: After registration, carry your organ donor card as proof of your pledge — you can also add it to your health ID or Aadhaar records.
- Spread Awareness: Talk about organ donation with friends, at schools, on social media, or in your community to reduce stigma and misinformation.
- Support Organ Donation NGOs: Volunteer your time or donate to organizations that promote organ donation and support recipients and donor families.
- Encourage Living Donation: Consider becoming a living donor (for kidney or liver), if you’re healthy and emotionally ready — under full medical guidance.
- Participate in Campaigns & Drives: Join or organize awareness drives during Organ Donation Day or related events to help spread the message further.
Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te…Read More
Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te… Read More
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