The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on Ireland's transplant community, the Irish Kidney Association (IKA) has said.

It has launched its annual Organ Donor Awareness Week, which will run from March 27 to April 3. This event had to be cancelled at the last minute last year as a result of the pandemic.

"Sadly, COVID-19 had, and continues to have, a serious unwelcome impact on the transplant community. Initial medical advice was to cocoon. Suddenly, people previously leading a normal life could no longer attend work or socialise," commented IKA national honorary chairman, Colin MacKenzie.

He said that many people were afraid to attend hospital appointments and all of these changes negatively impacted mental health.

"A number of people in the dialysis and transplant community also died with COVID-19, and we would like to express our deep sympathies to their families," he said.

At any one time in Ireland, there are between 550 and 600 people on waiting lists for organ transplants including heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas.

The IKA pointed out that there was a fall in the number of transplants carried out in 2020 across all the national transplant programmes. Altogether, 190 organ transplants took place last year - 84 less than in 2019. These organs came from 62 deceased donors and 28 living donors.

According to IKA chief executive, Carol Moore, the cancellation of last year's Organ Donor Awareness Week impacted the IKA's ability to promote organ donor awareness.

"With COVID-19 still a reality, we have adapted with new ideas for the 2021 awareness campaign. The IKA is delighted to announce that, for the very first time, demonstrating nationwide solidarity in support of organ donation, county and city councils around the country will light up more than 60 public sites in green throughout the week-long campaign. Green is the internationally recognised colour which celebrates organ and tissue donation," she explained.

This year's awareness campaign is built around the themes #Life is a Gift, Pass it On and Share your Wishes.

"The words #Life is a Gift, Pass it On represent the transient beauty of the ‘gift of life', underpinned by the selfless generosity of the human spirit. Share Your Wishes represents the importance of discussion with loved ones about organ donation and it is the cornerstone of the campaign," the IKA said.

For more information on Organ Donor Awareness Week 2021, including how to obtain an organ donor card, click here.