Abu Dhabi,November 24, 2021:   The National Program for Donation and Transplantation of Organs and Human Tissues reiterated the importance of organ donation as a life-saving act of charity during its participation in this year’s ADNOC Marathon.

 

The program, is partnering with this year’s ADNOC Marathon to help increase registrations for life-saving organ donations. The third edition of the ADNOC Marathon will take place on November 26th, while the ADNOC Marathon village begun on the 22nd of November.

 

A theme of ‘Together We Transplant Hope’ will highlight the program’s goal of encouraging donors, with people invited to register via the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention’s Hayat online platform. Simon Keith, two-time heart transplant patient and the world’s first heart transplant patient to play a professional sport, will also be present at the booth to share his incredible and inspiring story with the community.

 

 

“The unfortunate truth is that demand for organ donation exceeds the number of people willing to donate. Those that do find a donor match must bear a very steep cost. We need more people to step up and donate towards a cause that is saving lives. At SEHA, we are highly committed towards this cause and our SEHA Kidney Care Centers complete around six kidney transplants a month with a 95% to 98% success rate in the first year after surgery,” said Dr. Tarek Fathey, Group Chief Executive Officer at SEHA.

 

“Lifestyle modifications have been proven to prevent the likes of heart and kidney failure. Altering your day-to-day habits can have a profound impact on your overall health. Certain changes that we encourage people to make include quitting smoking, limiting alcohol and caffeine intake, being physically active, and effectively managing stress,” said Dr. Ali Al Obaidli, Chief Medical Officer, SEHA Kidney Care & Chairman of the UAE National Transplant Committee.

 

Services available at the UAE Organ Donation program’s booth at ADNOC Village include: 

 

• Free health checkups

• Health education on prevention of organ failure, organ donation and transplant

• Kiosk to register as an organ donor

• Representatives from local and international partners (CCAD, Saudi transplant team, Spanish DTI) will be present

 

As well as increasing donations and registrations, the UAE Organ Donation program also aims to encourage people to adopt a healthier lifestyle in order to reduce the need for organ transplants while at the same time helping people remain healthy enough to be eligible for donation.

 

Attendees at the booth will be provided with the Health Passport that they can have stamped upon the successful completion of the following tests: 

• Vital Checkups (height, weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar)

• Nutrition advice (BMI calculation)

• Smoking cessation booth

• Health education/consultation based on results

The booth is designed to attract people from across the UAE community and will feature activities including a health-themed monopoly game for children and awareness initiatives to educate them on healthy living. An open-air cinema will screen films highlighting organ donation success stories and campaigns from across the globe.