Academy
The 6th European Conference on Donor Health and Management (ECDHM)
Katja van den Hurk
Sanquin Research and Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Eva-Maria Merz
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The 6th European Conference on Donor Health and Management (ECDHM) took place from the 10th –12th of September 2025 in Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands. This in-person, three-day conference was co-organised by the European Blood Alliance (EBA) and Sanquin (Chair Katja van den Hurk and co-chair Eva-Maria Merz). Guided by the theme “Sustainability in Donations,” the programme blended keynotes, oral and poster sessions, workshops, and special sessions, and welcomed 215 participants from 31 countries, including medical directors, operational teams, recruitment/marketing specialists, researchers, and regulators.
Feedback from participants indicated an overwhelmingly positive conference experience. Overall, 99% of respondents reported that the conference met their expectations, either fully or partly, and 93% agreed or strongly agreed that the content was useful and applicable to their work. In terms of overall satisfaction, 81% of participants were very satisfied and the remaining 19% were satisfied. The conference also received high ratings across key operational areas, with 94% satisfaction for information and communication, 93% for the format, 92% for general organisation, 90% for the venue, and 85% for the social programme. These results reflect the conference’s strong planning, engaging content, and positive atmosphere for professional exchange.
Figure 1: Katja van den Hurk and Eva-Maria Merz delivering a keynote presentation.
The ISBT Academy provided valuable support for the conference by funding the participation of four delegates from low-, lower-middle-, and upper-middle-income countries: Georgia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Ukraine. Their participation added meaningful diversity to the conference, allowing for the exchange of experiences and perspectives from a range of international settings, also during times of conflict. Ketevan Shermadini, Ananda Gunasekera and Nigar Ertuğrul Örüç participated in a special session on “Transitioning from family replacement and (hidden) paid donations to 100% VNRDB”, a highly relevant topic to better understand international and cultural challenges in transitioning to a completely voluntary donation practice. The opportunity to share work and engage with colleagues from around the world highlighted the practical impact of ISBT Academy funding in promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange within the transfusion community. Inna Vilshanivska presented her experience on blood donations during the war in Ukraine, resulting in standing ovations, tears and a specially created "bravery award" for her continued efforts to take care of both donors and patients.
Figure 2: Dr. Ananda Gunasekera, Daumantas Gutauskas, Dr. Martin Smid, Dr. Nigar Ertuğrul Örüç and Ketevan Shermadini MD after presenting their special session.
Figure 3: Inna Vilshanivska presenting about blood donation during times of conflict in Ukraine.
