Message from Organizing Presidents

We are pleased to invite you to attend the II International Conference DONARTE 2023, organized by the Departments of Anesthesia and Intensive care at University of Messina (Sicily, Italy).

DONARTE 2023 will be held in Messina for 3 days, from September 29 th (Friday) to October 1 st (Sunday). Venue is the Aula Magna of Rettorato, at University of Messina. The Congress will compare the world's leading experts in organ and tissue donation and transplantation and will contribute to bridge the gap in knowledge on this important clinical and research arena.

According to the Global Observatory on Organ Donation and Transplantation, almost 150.000 solid organ are transplanted annually. However, it is estimated that this represents less than 10% of global needs. Long periods on the waiting list for organs may result in patients deteriorating or dying before transplantation.

This calls for effective measures to implement organ donation and transplantation, and gathering together for scientific discussion and sharing experiences will help in this direction. In addition, various workshops/simulations will be planned so that young researchers who will lead the future can exchange and study internationally.

DONARTE 2023 is an innovative and unique opportunity where Science and Art will merge. The love for knowledge and the power of art will be the inspirational leitmotiv of the Congress. Donation itself is an art which requires courage, awareness, and generosity.

This international conference takes its name from two kids that we want to honor: Nicholas Green and Rolly Prajapati. DOnation and Art: Nicholas and Rolly Testimonials. Nicholas Green was the seven-year-old American boy shot in an attempted robbery on the Salerno to Reggio Calabria highway on September 29th, 1994, and died two days later, October 1st in Messina. Nicholas' organs and corneas were donated to seven very sick Italians. In the following ten years organ donations in Italy tripled. Twenty-eight years later, Rolly Prajapati, a six-year old Indian baby girl has been victim of a similar event, being shot dead on 27th of April 2023, in Noida UP, India, and her family consented to donate her organs when she was declared brain dead on 30th April, 2023. As in Italy, organ donations did increase in New Delhi after Rolly case.

The Conference will welcome Anesthesiologists, Intensivist, Transplant surgeons, Neurologists, Neurosurgeons, Pediatricians, Emergency physicians, Transplant Organizations, Clinicians, Researchers & Scientists, Practitioners, Nurses, Industry professionals and other healthcare experts.

Your participation and contributions to scientific discussions of different perspectives and approaches will make this event unique, and help in creating awareness/promotion of organ donations in countries having unmet needs for organs despite high number of potential donors.

Looking forwards to welcome you in the enchanting territory of the Strait of Messina at the end of September, in a month when the weather is going to be just perfect for you.

Anna Teresa Mazzeo, Antonio David, Deepak Gupta