Prof Riadh Abdul Sattar Fadhil, director of the Qatar Organ Donation Centre (Hiba) at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), has been named a World Health Organisation (WHO) advisory expert in the field of organ donation and transplantation. 
Prof Fadhil has been appointed to the newly formed WHO Taskforce on Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues. The taskforce is comprised of experts from around the globe who are specialists in their field, which cover the areas of medicine, surgery, ethics, law, patients’ rights, public administration and health systems. 
“It is as a result of our culture of respect for human dignity, autonomy and equity, and well-structured and resourced public education, that organ donation and transplantation programs are accessible to all nationalities here in Qatar. There have been significant changes in the mindset of Qatar’s multicultural society, as demonstrated by strong participation in the organ donor registry and in the deceased and living donation and transplantation programmes,” said Prof Fadhil.
According to Prof Fadhil, since the Qatar Organ Donor Registry was launched in 2012, around 300,000 donors, or 15% of the country’s adult population have registered as organ donors.
“2017 was the best year ever since the launch of the transplant programme in 1986. Last year, 47 patients received 12 livers and 35 kidneys from ethically approved living and deceased donors, compared to 2008 when only two transplants were done. This explains why Qatar has become a model for other countries to emulate, thanks to the support of our wise leaders and HE Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari, Minister of Public Health,” added 
Prof Fadhil.
The WHO has identified organ donation as one of its priorities and Prof Fadhil joins other eminent experts, advising on policy and strategy. 
The most recent data from the WHO Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation shows that more than 130,000 solid organ transplants are performed worldwide each year, and although impressive, it is estimated that this number represents less than 10% of the global need.
Dr Fadhil is a professor of Urology and Transplant Surgery. He joined HMC as a senior consultant surgeon in 2004 and is currently director of Hiba and the Doha International Academy for Organ Donation.