Bosnia and Herzegovina steps up cooperation with Eurotransplant
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Minister of Civil Affairs, Dubravka Bošnjak, held a meeting in Sarajevo with a delegation from Eurotransplant, Europe’s leading organization for the coordination and exchange of donated organs for transplantation.
The delegation was led by the Chairman of the Eurotransplant Supervisory Board, Prof. Dr. Dirk van Raemdonck, and Chief Executive Officer Dr. André Matera, CE Report informs via the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s official website.
This marks the second official visit by senior Eurotransplant representatives to Bosnia and Herzegovina, confirming the continuity of cooperation and a shared commitment to the further development of the country’s transplantation system.
Minister Bošnjak emphasized that the development of transplant medicine is one of the key issues facing Bosnia and Herzegovina’s healthcare system, as it directly reflects the system’s ability to save lives and improve patients’ quality of life. Progress depends primarily on strengthening domestic capacities, which requires more active engagement by the competent health ministries, reinforcement of existing transplant programs, better coordination among healthcare institutions, and continuous education of medical personnel as prerequisites for the further development of transplant medicine in the country.
During the discussions, it was confirmed that the proposed Training and Education Agreement (TTA), which Eurotransplant submitted to Bosnia and Herzegovina in November last year, represents an important transitional mechanism for strengthening the professional capacities of transplant centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina through training, exchange of experience, and adoption of European standards. It also provides an opportunity to connect Bosnia and Herzegovina’s transplant centers with Eurotransplant while simultaneously fulfilling the prerequisites for future full membership.
One of the topics discussed was European legislation concerning Substances of Human Origin (SoHO), which establishes new standards for quality, safety, and oversight in this field. The participants agreed that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s activities in transplant medicine should be viewed within the broader context of aligning with modern European approaches to managing SoHO systems and developing sustainable models of voluntary organ donation.
Minister Bošnjak thanked Eurotransplant’s leadership for its continuous support and partnership-oriented approach toward Bosnia and Herzegovina. Eurotransplant representatives welcomed the engagement of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina in initiating this process, maintaining institutional dialogue, and connecting the country’s relevant healthcare institutions.
The meeting in Sarajevo marked the beginning of Eurotransplant’s working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina from June 16 to 19, during which further steps to strengthen the transplantation system, develop organ donation, and align transplant medicine with European standards will be discussed.
As part of the visit, the Eurotransplant delegation will tour the University Clinical Hospital Mostar today and the University Clinical Center Tuzla tomorrow, where they will review existing transplantation capacities and hold expert meetings and lectures for medical staff.
Photo Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina
