Saving lives across borders: European exchange brings more donor organs to the right patients
The FOEDUS platform has more than doubled the number of organs available and donor organs exchanged in recent years. Children benefit most from the free exchange of organs between European countries. Franz Immer, Director of Swisstransplant, is a founding member of FOEDUS and held the presidency from 2021 to 2024.
FOEDUS (European Organ Exchange Organization) was founded in 2015 and celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025. Franz Immer, Director of Swisstransplant, headed the FOEDUS association from 2021 to 2024. In these four years, the number of organs offered via the FOEDUS platform increased from 271 to 559. The number of donor organs exchanged increased from 56 to 166 over the same period. Immer emphasises that the balance between the import and export of donor organs is very important and that Switzerland is one of the most active countries offering donor organs to FOEDUS member states. A cross-border exchange only takes place if there is no suitable person on the waiting list for a transplant in the country of the organ donor.
Children benefit the most
Swisstransplant also accepts donor organs via the FOEDUS platform. The exchange of donor organs takes place anonymously and without financial incentives. European cooperation is ensured around the clock through a 24/7 operation of the organisations involved in the member states. One in ten donor organs for transplant recipients in Switzerland came from the FOEDUS region in 2024: a total of 522 people received donor organ transplants from deceased persons in Switzerland, 52 of which came from European partner countries. The youngest patients in particular benefit most from this act of solidarity and humanity in the member states involved. In 2024, 15 children in Switzerland received a donor organ from a deceased person. Of these, six donor organs came to Switzerland from abroad. Elio also received a life-saving donor heart from abroad two years ago. Today, the eight-year-old is doing very well; our video shows Elio at home with his family. The video report by Amanda Arroyo shows the transport of a donor heart to Switzerland.
FOEDUS celebrates 10 years
FOEDUS is the largest and most important platform in the world for cross-border organ exchange. The aim is to internationally allocate high-quality organs for which there are no recipients in the organ donor’s country, thus giving people the chance of a new quality of life – and often of survival. Franz Immer was a founding member of FOEDUS together with his Czech counterpart Frýda Přemysl, former director of the Czech Coordination Centre KST. Immer points out: “Covering a population of half a billion people, FOEDUS is the largest international platform of its kind in the world.” His Italian colleague Dr Giuseppe Feltrin, Direttore Generale, Centro Nazionale Trapianti CNT, took over the presidency in 2025.
The media dossier contains numbers and videos on organ exchange, the FOEDUS logo and a picture of the presidents.
Yes or no to organ donation?
Organ donation is and will remain voluntary. According to the federal government, the objection rule is expected to be introduced in the second half of 2026. The recommendation is to record one’s personal decision – yes or no to organ donation – and to inform one’s relatives by using an organ donor card, advance directive or electronic patient dossier to communicate that choice. Record your decision
Contact for media enquiries: Franz Immer, Director of Swisstransplant, Cardiovascular Surgeon, T +41 58 123 80 00, media@swisstransplant.org.
Swisstransplant – Swiss National Foundation for Organ Donation and Transplantation
On behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Swisstransplant is responsible, in its capacity as National Allocation Office, for the allocation of organs to recipients in accordance with the applicable law, and is in charge of the corresponding waiting list. In Switzerland, they organise all activities related to organ allocation at a national level. In doing so, they work closely with the European allocation organisations. In 2009, Swisstransplant was commissioned by the Swiss Conference of the Cantonal Ministers of Public Health to coordinate the tasks of the cantons in the area of organ and tissue donation laid down in the Swiss Transplant Act at a national level, to exploit synergies and to ensure collaboration with the organ donation networks. www.swisstransplant.org