Bosnia and Herzegovina one step closer to membership in Eurotransplant

(Patria) - Minister of Civil Affairs of BiH Dubravka Bošnjak and the leadership of Eurotransplant signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) in Sarajevo today, a document confirming partnership and representing official support for efforts to gradually include Bosnia and Herzegovina in Eurotransplant, an international network that coordinates more than 7,000 transplants annually.

The signing of the LOI was held within the framework of a three-day official visit of the Eurotransplant leadership to Bosnia and Herzegovina, during which a series of constructive discussions and meetings were held with competent institutions and representatives of healthcare facilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Within the LOI, the Eurotransplant leadership handed over to the Ministry of Civil Affairs the draft of the “Teaching and Training Agreement (TTA)”, which provides an opportunity for connecting
transplant centers from BiH with transplant centers within Eurotransplant.
The handover of the TTA draft represents a key operational step towards the functional connection of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Eurotransplant system. For the first time, we have a concrete instrument through which our centers can connect with partner centers within the network.

This enables:

- direct connection of our transplant centers with Eurotransplant centers,
- work according to the same professional standards, protocols, and quality controls,
- creation of a foundation for the future inclusion of patients from BiH on Eurotransplant waiting lists through partner transplant centers.

“From the very beginning, we were fully aware that the path to full membership is extremely demanding and that Bosnia and Herzegovina must meet a large number of standards and prerequisites. That is precisely why, from the very first meeting with the Eurotransplant leadership, which followed our letter of intent sent with the consent of the entity ministries of health, we clearly stated that we need an intermediate step, and that intermediate step is precisely the TTA,” said Minister Bošnjak.

“The TTA gives us the opportunity for the first time to be part of the Eurotransplant
system, in a limited capacity, while we simultaneously meet all the prerequisites for full membership,” added
Bošnjak.

In addition to handing over the TTA draft, the Eurotransplant leadership expressed their readiness to provide additional support to Bosnia and Herzegovina through training programs in the network's member states, through participation in clinical procedures, familiarization with standards and protocols, and strengthening professional capacities through practical work.

Solidarity and reciprocity

Access to organs that member states of Eurotransplant could offer us naturally implies our readiness to offer organs for which there is no donor within Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e., organs that cannot be used in BiH can help patients in other countries and vice versa. This possibility did not exist until now.

This is a principle of solidarity and reciprocity that is applied throughout the Eurotransplant network in accordance with clearly defined rules and procedures.

What's next?

The next phase involves transplant centers from BiH identifying their partner centers
in Eurotransplant member states and establishing cooperation under the supervision of the Eurotransplant leadership.

Establishing direct links between transplant centers is the key operational element of the TTA, and the initial reactions of our transplant experts clearly show satisfaction, as they have highlighted this form of international cooperation as essential for the development of transplant medicine in Bosnia and Herzegovina for years.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH will immediately forward the TTA draft to the competent health authorities, so that transplant centers can begin direct discussions with partner centers within Eurotransplant and finalize agreements. It is important to mention that the received TTA is a draft, which, with the consent of Eurotransplant, is subject to changes in accordance with the capabilities and needs of the transplant centers.

Transplant medicine is the only branch that depends on all of us, and Bosnia and
Herzegovina now has a unique opportunity to take a step towards a stronger and more efficient transplant system through cooperation with Eurotransplant. It is extremely important to raise awareness about the importance of donation and to encourage the engagement of all health institutions, experts, civil society organizations, but also all of us, so that this opportunity truly brings tangible results and enables a new life for those who need it most.