The Government of Canada recognizes the lifesaving impact that organ donation has on those in need of a transplantation. Transplant recipients, including approximately 40,000 in Canada, are at high risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. This could be due to many factors, including immunosuppression in transplant recipients, reduced vaccine effectiveness, and recipients having multiple chronic conditions.
Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, announced $1.8 million in funding over three years to the Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program (CDTRP), hosted by the University of Alberta, to support research to address COVID-19 related issues for transplant recipients. This is part of Health Canada's Organ Donation and Transplantation (ODT) Collaborative that aims to achieve improvements that result in better patient outcomes and an increase in the number and quality of successful transplants.
By working in collaboration with researchers, health professionals, patients and their families across the country, this project will increase understanding of best practices for transplant patients who have been severely affected by COVID-19. The project activities include assessing the safety and effectiveness of early therapies in transplant patients to provide a better understanding of treatment options available to them; investigating the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on patients and their families to develop strategies to improve their well-being; and evaluating the economic impact and value of emerging and existing therapy options for COVID-19 in transplant patients.
The Government of Canada will continue to work with key partners, including patients, families and patient-based organizations, to improve our health care system and ensure that transplant recipients have timely and effective access to quality donation and transplantation services, wherever they live across the country.
