On November 4, 2025, Ms. Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director of MOHAN Foundation (MF), was invited as a panellist to speak at an online webinar titled “Culture and Impact on Organ Donation” hosted by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).
The session was hosted by Ms. Winnie Andango, Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant, NHSBT, and brought together health professionals, policymakers, and community representatives from across the world to discuss how cultural factors influence organ donation and to share strategies for increasing donor registration across diverse communities.
The distinguished panellists included:
• Prof. Gurch Randhawa, Professor of Diversity in Health Research, University of Bedfordshire
• Orin Lewis OBE, CEO, African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT), and Co-Chair, NBTA
• Aninda Dutta, Vice President of Business Intelligence and Data Solutions, Donor Network West, California
• Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation, NCR
During the discussion, Ms. Pallavi shared impactful grassroots experiences from India, highlighting how community-based initiatives have been effective in dispelling myths, increasing awareness, and motivating individuals to pledge for organ donation. She emphasized the central role of families, local leaders, and faith-based groups in building trust and normalizing conversations about donation.
The other panellists offered diverse and complementary perspectives. Prof. Randhawa spoke about how cultural and diversity factors shape public trust in health systems, Mr. Lewis discussed barriers faced within Black and African-Caribbean communities, and Mr. Dutta shared data-driven insights from the U.S. on how ethnicity affects organ donation outcomes.
The panel collectively discussed how cultural beliefs, religious views, and misinformation continue to influence organ donation decisions globally. They also highlighted the low donor numbers in several ethnic and minority communities and emphasized the need for culturally tailored awareness strategies to address these challenges.
Key recommendations from the discussion included:
• Promoting community-led initiatives through trusted local and faith-based leaders.
• Developing multilingual and simplified educational materials to ensure wider reach.
• Providing cultural sensitivity training for healthcare and donation professionals.
• Building long-term partnerships with local organizations for sustained engagement.
The webinar concluded with a call for greater global collaboration. The speakers collectively emphasized that cultural understanding, inclusive communication, and community engagement are vital to improving organ donation rates and saving more lives.
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