Sespa launches programming for "Green September" to encourage organ donation in Pará

In order to draw society's attention to organ and tissue donation, the State Transplant Center (CET), from the State Department of Public Health (Sespa), prepared a schedule of mobilization and awareness actions for "Green September", a campaign in honor of the National Organ Donation Day. The initiative starts this Thursday (28) and will end on September 29.

In the first seven months of this year, 266 transplants were performed in the State. Of these, 205 were cornea transplants, 36 were kidney transplants, 16 were bone marrow transplants, 6 were liver transplants, and 3 were musculoskeletal. Aiming to raise awareness among the population about the importance of donation, the agenda includes courses, lectures, pamphleting, guidance for health professionals, walks, and mobilization actions at major sporting events. At the games of Remo and Paysandu, at the Mangueirão stadium, there will be banners on the field and images on the big screen to reinforce the message.

In addition to these activities, the official calendar includes educational actions in hospitals and health units in various regions of Pará, such as the Regional Hospital of Tapajós (HRT) in Itaituba, the Regional Hospital of Baixo Amazonas Dr. Waldemar Penna (HRBA) in Santarém, the Regional Hospital of Tucuruí, the Public Regional Hospital of Castanhal, and the Divine Providence Hospital in Marituba.

The campaign has the ongoing support of the Amazon Network for Education in Donation and Transplants (AMEDOT) and the active participation of the Organ Procurement Organization of the Metropolitan Region of Belém (OPO/RMB). The Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará Foundation (FSCMPA) also integrates the actions with the events "Morning in the Park" and "Morning in the Square". The Pará Center for Hemotherapy and Hematology (Hemopa), the Municipal Health Department of Belém (Sesma), and partner educational institutions of the PJ SEMEAR program participate with educational actions, including the collaboration of "Hospital Class", which develops pedagogical tools to bring the topic to students and hospitalized patients.

Advancement
The implementation of the Organ Procurement Organization of the Metropolitan Region of Belém I (OPO RMB-I), in September 2024, was a significant advancement in strengthening organ procurement in the State. Currently, the initiative has a multidisciplinary team consisting of two doctors, four nurses, and one administrative agent. The OPO's work is comprehensive, including the active search for patients with suspected brain death; support for notifications and the opening of the brain death protocol; clinical evaluation of potential donors; guidance on hemodynamic maintenance, as well as training health professionals for the effective realization of donation.

In its first year, the OPO RMB-I achieved significant results: from September 1, 2024, to August 21, 2025, 62 multiple organ donations were made in Pará — 32 in 2024 and 30 until August 21, 2025. Among the donated organs, kidneys and liver stand out.

Awareness
The coordinator of the State Transplant Center of Sespa, Alfredo Abud, emphasizes that the campaign is aimed at society as a whole. He warns that, even with already quite significant numbers, the refusal rate is still high, hence the importance of strengthening the dialogue on the subject. "Awareness actions in society are essential to ensure the advancement of transplants. It is fundamental that families talk about organ donation and that people express this decision clearly, as this simple gesture can save many lives," he states.

He further reinforces the transformative reach of this act of solidarity. "People need to better understand the donation process, which is a legal process governed by federal agencies. Moreover, with this act, it is possible to benefit from eight to eleven patients, depending on the donated organs, such as liver, kidneys, and corneas. Today, thousands of people are waiting in line for a transplant throughout Brazil, and each donation represents hope and quality of life for those waiting," he adds.

Reference services for transplantation in the state public health network:
Ophir Loyola Hospital - HOL (adult kidney)
Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará Foundation - FSCMPA (pediatric kidney and liver)
Regional Hospital of Baixo Amazonas – HRBA, in Santarém
Public Regional Hospital of Araguaia, in Redenção.
*These last two regional hospitals have support for kidney transplants.

Check out the main programming:

August

• 28/08 – Mobilization at the Remo game | 21h35 | Mangueirão

September

• 02/09 – Big class "Brazilian Transplant Program" | 8h to 11h | CET/SESPA
• 04/09 – Big class | 14h to 16h | CESUPA
• 05/09 – Conversation circle with academic leagues | 15h to 17h | CET
• 05/09 – Mobilization at the Paysandu game | 19h | Curuzu
• 09/09 – Theoretical immersion at CET | 8h to 17h
• 10/09 – Practical immersion with technical visits | Regional Hospitals
• 13/09 – Mobilization at the Paysandu game | 16h | Curuzu
• 14/09 – "Morning in the Park" | 7h to 12h | Utinga Park
• 19/09 – Mini-course on methodology | 8h to 12h | CET/SESPA
• 20/09 – Mobilization at the Remo game | 20h30 | Mangueirão
• 23/09 – V Symposium Green September | 14h to 18h | Unama BR
• 23/09 – Mobilization at the Paysandu game | 19h30 | Curuzu
• 28/09 – "Morning in the Square" | 8h to 12h | Praça Batista Campos
• 28/09 – Closing: mobilization at the Remo game | 20h30 |

With this joint mobilization, Sespa reaffirms its commitment to increasing awareness about organ donation and contributing to the increase of transplants, saving lives and promoting public health in the State of Pará.

Text: Suellen Santos/ Ascom Sespa