DICG Course on Ethical Issues in Transplantation and the Declaration of Istanbul

The Mission of the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group (DICG) is to promote, implement and uphold the Declaration of Istanbul so as to combat organ trafficking, transplant tourism and transplant commercialism and to encourage adoption of effective and ethical transplantation practices around the world.

About the Course on Ethical Issues in Transplantation and the Declaration of Istanbul

  • The course was designed to allow participants to learn at their own pace and time during each module of the course.
  • The Modules are all available at this time. Periodically, there will be updates and additions to the content
  • The course is open to all participants who want to learn about ethics in transplantation, the DOI and the DICG
  • We will guide you through all the important aspects of the declaration
  • Upon completion all participants will be eligable for a certificate
  • It’s free!
To access the full course, create a username and login here.
About “The Declaration of Istanbul”

The Declaration of Istanbul expresses the determination of donation and transplant professionals and their colleagues in related fields that the benefits of transplantation be maximized and shared equitably with those in need, without reliance on unethical and exploitative practices that have harmed poor and powerless persons around the world. It aims to provide ethical guidance for professionals and policymakers who share this goal. The Declaration thus complements efforts by professional societies, national health authorities, and inter-governmental organizations such as the World Health Organisation [3], the United Nations [4,5], and the Council of Europe [6-8] to support the development of ethical programs for organ donation and transplantation, and to prevent organ trafficking and transplant tourism. These efforts have contributed to the considerable progress made in countries around the world since 2008.

In 2010 TTS and ISN created the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group (DICG) to disseminate the Declaration and to respond to new challenges in organ trafficking and transplant tourism. Between February 2018 and May 2018, the DICG carried out a wide-ranging consultation, open to all interested parties, to update the Declaration in response to clinical, legal and social developments in the field. The results of the consultation process were presented, reviewed, and adopted as set forth in this document in Madrid in July 2018 during the International Congress of TTS.The Declaration should be read as a whole and each principle should be applied in light of all the other principles which are equally important. The accompanying Commentary Paper explains and elaborates the text of the Declaration and suggests strategies for implementation.

Learn more on The Declaration of Istanbul here.

Visit The Declaration of Istanbul website here.