Abstract

Introduction: Southeast Asian countries have the lowest organ transplantation rate and highest growth rate of people entering end-stage organ failure. ODISSeA - Organ Donation Innovative Strategies for Southeast Asia is an Erasmus+ project funded by the European Commission aimed at increasing number of organ donors and transplantation in Southeast Asian countries. The objective is to design and implement an academic postgraduate program on organ donation for healthcare workers in eight Southeast Asian universities from Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines and Thailand with collaboration from three universities from the European Union (EU).

Methods: In the first phase, a diagnosis survey was completed by university personnel, faculty and potential students to assess existing organ donation training programs, digital literacy, access, awareness and attitude towards organ donation. The second phase involved training of Southeast Asian countries’ faculty in the “Train the Trainers” program. Southeast Asian and EU experts then implemented the postgraduate program with 35 students per institution using a multi-level blended approach that included online training, projects, informative events, and seminars. Self-assessment activities, and pre- and post-training assessment will be used to evaluate students.

Results: The program will provide a common framework for Southeast Asian universities to develop learning strategies corresponding to specialized knowledge in organ donation, in accordance with European Space for Higher Education guidelines. Participants will receive a diploma certified by the Southeast Asian universities upon completion of the program.

Conclusion: ODISSeA is an innovative initiative to establish recognized academic training in organ donation in eight Southeast Asian universities and support the establishment of sustainable and efficient organ donation networks in this region.

Additional Information

This presentation was given at the SES 2020 online conference, 4 July 2020.