A three-day International Conference, "Celebrating Diversity," was organized by MOHAN Foundation and Commonwealth Tribute to Life (CTtL) at Courtyard by Marriott, Gurugram, India, from March 22-24, 2024. The aim of the conference was to share knowledge on organ donation and transplantation to help initiate and improve donation rates in Commonwealth countries. The conference received support from SBI Foundation.

 

With close to 150 participants from 10 countries, including the UK, Canada, Singapore, Australia, South Africa, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, UAE, and Zambia, along with a significant representation from India, the conference truly served as a beacon of knowledge exchange. It provided a platform for experts, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates to share insights, research findings, and strategies to address challenges and seize opportunities in the field of organ donation and transplantation among Commonwealth nations.

 

The inaugural conference was graced by:

 

Shri Sanjay Prakash, Managing Director, SBI Foundation

Dr Anil Kumar, Director National Organ and Tissue Organization (NOTTO), India

Dr R V Asokan, National President, Indian Medical Association

Shri Sunil Arora, Retd Chief Election Commissioner of India

Dr Satya Sharma, Chairperson, Commonwealth Tribute to Life

Dr Dale Gardiner, Regional Coordinator, Europe, CTtL

Dr Avnish Seth, Organizing Chairman, CTtL Conference

Mr. C. P. Gurnani, Ex-CEO, Tech Mahindra, CEO Club Mahindra

 

Sessions in the conference covered topics such as:

Sharing of best practices

Supporting emerging programs to start deceased donation

Showcasing community engagement

Approaches to normalize DCD

Roles in counseling for donation

Brain Death Project and Challenges

Setting up audit systems for transplant outcomes

Pioneering Hand transplantation in India

Skin banking systems

Creating organ transport systems using drones

Using cell-free DNA for early detection of organ rejection

Crowdfunding to support transplant costs

 

Additionally, there were three workshops to discuss:

Best practices in transplantation from across the commonwealth

Education, training and accreditation

Opportunities for communication and promotion within the commonwealth

 

The conference featured a mixture of panel discussions, plenary talks, role-plays, and workshops, providing ample opportunities for networking and information exchange.

 

This conference was organized in association with NOTTO, ISOT, Society for Heart Failure and Transplantation, LTSI, IFKW, and NATCO. The conference also received support from Trunome, TANKER Foundation, Mankind, Intas, Lal Path Labs, Sanofi and Sandor. MOHAN Foundation extends its gratitude to all the supporters for their contributions to the conference.

 

The program can be viewed here: cttl.in/delhi/program/

 

Gallery of the event can be viewed here: https://cttl.in/delhi/gallery/