In the last 4 years, thanks also to the collection of digital declarations which represent around 70% of the total wishes, Aido (Italian Association for the donation of organs, tissues and cells) has collected around 25 thousand expressions of will per year, of which 50% from young people under 35. In 2025, around 25 thousand expressions of will were collected, two thirds digitally and one third holographic. AND 2026 began with an increase in organ donations and therefore transplants: as of April 27, there were 12,100 expressions of will against 9,576 in the same period of 2025, with an increase of 27%. But some news stories, such as the sad story of little Domenico at the Monaldi hospital in Naples, have had an impact on public perception. Fortunately, however, the data on transplants for the first months of this year give rise to hope, because they record an increase compared to the same period in 2025: from 1 January to 8 March 2026, 340 donations were recorded compared to 316 the previous year, 837 transplants compared to 764 in ’25.
«It is important to continue to promote the value of donation to respond to the thousands of people on the waiting list. We say yes because those organs, at that moment, will no longer be of use to us but they could be a precious gift for others», hopes the president of Aido, Flavia Petrinwho spoke on 28 April in the Senate at the conference “The gift of life in the Italian transplant system”.
A network that represents excellence also recognized internationally, with over 4,500 transplants carried out on average every year. In 2025, organ donations reached 2,164, marking an increase of 3.2% compared to 2024, starting from 3,293 reports of potential donors received from resuscitations. Thanks to these samples, 4,697 transplants were performed, 55 more than the previous year (+1.2%). The national donation rate stood at 30.2 donors per million people, «a value that places Italy in second place in Europe after Spain», underlines Petrin. Even for tissue donations and transplants, as for those of organs, 2025 was the best year ever: «There were 16,825, with a +5.6% compared to 2024, and 27,351 transplants, with a +2.6% compared to the previous year».
However, “currently there are more than 8 thousand people waiting for an organ and about 300 of them leave us every year because the organ doesn’t arrive in time. People who, every day, wait with infinite hope for a call and therefore a new chance at life. This possibility depends, to a large extent, on our society’s ability to build a culture of widespread, informed and conscious donation. The more yes to the donation, the more the opportunities multiply for those waiting for a transplant to return to living a peaceful and healthy life”, reports Petrin. Which renews the invitation to «cultivate, spread and promote the culture of giving not only as a great social value, but also as an informed and conscious choice of pure love on the part of citizens. This is why it is important to disseminate correct information: the system is solid, based on rigorous protocols, extraordinary professionalism and a prepared hospital network». The message reinforces that of the “Fill the silence” awareness campaign, launched last April 19th on the occasion of the National Day for Organ and Tissue Donation: «The silence on organ donation is often due to modesty or fear of addressing a topic that touches life and death, or by the thought that there is always enough time to talk about it, and therefore it is postponed. Silence, however, leaves people without information, families without answers and those waiting for a transplant without hope. Informing, raising awareness and breaking down the silence around donation is the necessary condition for every citizen to be able to choose freely. In fact, by next August 3, all paper identity cards will disappear and millions of Italians will be asked to choose whether to opt for the donation when renewing the document in electronic format.”
In 2025, out of 3,781,585 declarations of will recorded by the Municipalities at the time of issuing the Electronic Identity Card (CIE), the consensus was 59.9% and the opposition was 40.1%, a clear increase compared to 36.3% in 2024. «But it must be specified that these data refer to approximately 59.2% of citizens who expressed their will, while 40.8% (equal to approximately 2 million 600 thousand citizens) has not expressed it.” The increase affected all regions and demographic groups. The trend is also confirmed in resuscitations, where the percentage of “no” to blood sampling by family members settled at 28.8% (+0.1% compared to 2024). «Often behind a “no” or an unexpressed desire hide doubts, fears, lack of clear information or false myths that are still widespread.
And it is precisely here that communication and raising awareness on the topic become fundamental: no choice can be truly conscious if it is not accompanied by the possibility of understanding and orienting oneself freely”, reiterates Petrin. «In Aido we continue to spread information, dialogue and awareness every day in schools, squares, municipalities and hospitals. Donation is not a topic to be addressed only when it affects us closely: it is a choice that can be made today, with clarity and freedom, for the future of our community». And remember that «every adult person can express their will on the donation not only when renewing their identity card, but also at their local health authority, by registering with Aido, online in a legally valid way via DigitalAIDO, or with the classic holographic document. Furthermore, the will can be modified at any time, because the last recorded declaration is always taken into consideration, a Yes born from the desire to leave something that will last beyond us: not an obligation or pressure, but an informed choice that can give new hope and new life”, highlights the president of Aido, appealing to the people who have not expressed themselves or who have expressed a no “so that they can express themselves without waiting for the renewal of the Cie after a decade”.
We will also talk about it on Sunday 24 May at 6 pm in Milan, at the Ambrosian Refectory: during the meeting “A heart and a single soul” the documentary “Briciole al cielo” will be screened, directed by Gian Francesco Tiramani and produced in collaboration with the Amici dei Bambini Cardiopatici Odv association and the Regina Margherita hospital in Turin, with the patronage of Aido. The 12-minute short film tells the story of Giordano, who in 2024 at the age of 4 returned to life thanks to the gift of a new heart, after being struck by a virus that had affected his organ; for 7 months he was hospitalized and attached to an artificial heart. The event is promoted by the weekly Famiglia Cristiana with Aido, Caritas Ambrosiana, the Association for the Ambrosian Refectory and Cineclub Piacenza.
