Susan O’Donnell, Professional Services Pharmacist at the IPU, attended the National Launch of Organ Donor Awareness Week 2026 by the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) on 13 May in the Mansion House, Dublin.

The campaign, which ran from 16 to 23 May, had the theme ‘Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones in Doubt — Share Your Wishes About Organ Donation’. The IKA had an information stand at the recent IPU National Pharmacy Conference where they provided further information on Organ Donation Week.

Speakers at the event included Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, Chief Clinical Officer at the HSE, Dr. Colm Henry and incoming Clinical Lead at the HSE Organ Donation Transplant Ireland office, Prof. Peter Conlon.

The lived experience of organ donation and transplantation was at the centre of the Donor Week campaign with speakers at the launch sharing their personal stories to shine a light on the importance of sharing your wishes with family and highlighting the impact that organ donation can have.

Against the backdrop of the extraordinary thoughtfulness of organ donors and their families, the IKA is deeply concerned about the decline in transplant activity. Figures published by the HSE show that organ donation and transplantation in Ireland fell sharply in 2025, with 202 organ transplants carried out — the lowest total in five years and well below the five-year pre-pandemic average of 282.

There are currently more than 650 people on transplant waiting lists in Ireland, over 500 of them waiting for a kidney. While last June’s Human Tissue Act introduced a soft opt-out system, families remain central in the process — their assent is still required before donation can proceed where an individual has not formally opted out.

See ika.ie/donorweek for more information.