ECDC hosts the first Substances of Human Origin Network (SoHO-Net) Organs Group meeting in Stockholm
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is pleased to announce the first Substances of Human Origin Network (SoHO-Net) Meeting: Organs Group, held on 18-19 June 2024 in Stockholm. This event brings together experts from the EU, EEA, Western Balkans, and Türkiye.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner, Director of ECDC, opened the inaugural meeting saying “It is a pleasure to welcome our colleagues from the SoHO network to Stockholm. Our work is to collect, analyse, share data and assist countries in preventing and responding to public health threats. Networks like this are a great opportunity to work together to address cross-border health threats, whatever they may be, and most importantly, protect citizens across the continent.”
Substances of Human Origin (SoHO) encompass blood, tissues and cells, medically assisted reproduction, and organs. The SoHO network, coordinated by the ECDC as part of the Agency’s extended mandate, focuses on implementing European regulations and directives to ensure standards of quality and safety of SoHO. This involves operating dedicated networks, monitoring health threats related to these substances, performing public health risk assessments, and supporting responses to risks to public health.
The SoHO-Net: Organs Group will provide European Union and European Economic Area countries with a platform to discuss key issues related to the prevention and control of transplantation-transmitted infections and facilitate networking among participants. Additionally, the group will address current challenges in the field, exchange best practices for donor testing strategies share experiences, and identify topics for future activities.
Marieke van der Werf, Head of Section STI, Blood Borne Viruses and TB, also welcomed attendees to the event: “We have four subnetworks within SoHo-Net, and I am delighted that we have now had the opportunity to meet all of them. Through these networks, we aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences, provide high-quality risk assessments with science-based recommendations, and enable discussion whenever a new risk to the safety of SoHOs is identified.”
In addition to the nominated National Focal Points, six representatives from the Western Balkans and Türkiye also attended the meeting to learn from the EU Member State experiences and discuss priority topics for future work.
The SoHO-Net Meeting: Organs group represents a vital step in fostering future collaboration and ensuring the safety and quality of substances of human origin across Europe.
