Donor Conversation Week makes organ donation a topic of discussion
13 oktober 2025
From Monday, October 13 to Sunday, October 19, the Dutch Transplant Foundation (NTS) is organizing the annual Donor Conversation Week. An online campaign week to encourage people to think and talk about organ and tissue donation.
'Know the facts' is the campaign title of the Donor Conversation Week. NTS director Naomi Nathan: “We are zooming in on the most common questions and concerns. We are countering these with reliable information and personal stories. So that you know the facts.”
Am I suitable as a donor?
By no means do all Dutch people know the facts about organ and tissue donation. For example, people often quickly assume they are not suitable as a donor. People doubt whether they can donate if they are ill, smoke, or have reached a certain age. For instance, nearly 1 in 3 Dutch people do not know if you can be an organ donor if you have a (chronic) illness. And 1 in 4 Dutch people do not know if you can be an organ donor if you smoke, according to a previous poll by Ipsos. In the campaign, the NTS explains the facts: that illness, age, or lifestyle are not necessarily reasons for not being able to donate.
“To be able to make an informed choice in the Donor Register, it is important to be well-informed,” explains NTS director Nathan. “Talking about it is at least as important. Organ donation is not a very common topic of conversation, but it does concern us all.” That is why the NTS encourages the Dutch to get well-informed and to normalize the conversation about organ donation. The annual campaign week is an important moment for this.
Importance of a conscious choice
The number of organ and tissue donors has increased in recent years, partly due to the introduction of the amended donor law and innovations. More and more people want to and can donate organs and/or tissue. This allows for more and more transplants to take place. Nevertheless, there are still over 1,500 patients on the waiting list for a donor organ. People also still die on the waiting list because an organ arrives too late.
