SOTA/Thematic
Donors in the tropics and LMICs: What to consider?
Presenter
Siriorn Watcharananan (TH)
Donor Screening in the Tropics and LMICs Click to watch
Siriorn Watcharananan (Guest Speaker), Camille N. Kotton (TTS Secretary / Education Committee Chair)
How do transplant programs expand organ use while still protecting patients from donor-derived infections?
In this interview, Associate Professor Siriorn Watcharananan of Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok discusses one of the most practical and globally relevant challenges in transplantation: donor evaluation in tropical regions and low- to middle-income countries (LMICs).
Interviewed by Camille Kotton, Dr. Watcharananan explains how transplant programs must balance donor-derived infection risk with the urgent need to increase organ utilization, especially in settings where regional epidemiology, seasonality, healthcare exposure, and cross-border movement all influence risk assessment.
The conversation highlights the importance of practical donor-screening guidance, global knowledge sharing, and the critical role of transplant infectious disease specialists in helping programs make safe, informed decisions. It also underscores how challenges faced in tropical and LMIC settings have growing relevance for transplant programs worldwide.
This interview is part of our featured speaker series leading up to The Transplantation Society (TTS) 2026 International Congress in Sydney.
🔬 Topics discussed:
• Donor screening in tropical settings
• Infection risk in transplantation
• Organ utilization in LMICs
• Regional epidemiology and cross-border exposure
• Global collaboration in transplant infectious diseases
In this interview, Associate Professor Siriorn Watcharananan of Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok discusses one of the most practical and globally relevant challenges in transplantation: donor evaluation in tropical regions and low- to middle-income countries (LMICs).
Interviewed by Camille Kotton, Dr. Watcharananan explains how transplant programs must balance donor-derived infection risk with the urgent need to increase organ utilization, especially in settings where regional epidemiology, seasonality, healthcare exposure, and cross-border movement all influence risk assessment.
The conversation highlights the importance of practical donor-screening guidance, global knowledge sharing, and the critical role of transplant infectious disease specialists in helping programs make safe, informed decisions. It also underscores how challenges faced in tropical and LMIC settings have growing relevance for transplant programs worldwide.
This interview is part of our featured speaker series leading up to The Transplantation Society (TTS) 2026 International Congress in Sydney.
🔬 Topics discussed:
• Donor screening in tropical settings
• Infection risk in transplantation
• Organ utilization in LMICs
• Regional epidemiology and cross-border exposure
• Global collaboration in transplant infectious diseases