Gurch Randhawa, Professor of Diversity in Public Health and Director of the University’s  Institute for Health Research, recently published ‘Organ Donation & Islam: The Interplay of Jurisprudence, Ethics and Society’, which is supporting Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar to improve organ donation rates by encouraging discussion and engagement in this important topic.

Funded by the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar, the University of Bedfordshire is aiming to develop research capacity and capability in the Arabic country to better understand the facilitators and barriers to organ donation and to improve uptake. As part of the project, the University is hosting a PhD student, Asmaa Abdulghani, who is undertaking research that examines public and medical views – and taboos – around organ donation.

During this project, Professor Randhawa and Asmaa recently visited Qatar to promote the book, the project’s research and meet with a variety of stakeholders.

Discussing this overseas project, Professor Randhawa said: “As part of our efforts to ensure that our world-leading research on public engagement and organ donation has benefits for other countries, the University is proud to be supporting Asmaa as a PhD student.

“She is the fourth PhD student that we have hosted in the Organ Donation & Transplant Research Centre on behalf of international government organisations. We are delighted that this new book is benefiting Qatar and I am pleased to see the progress the country is making in increasing and embracing the benefits of organ donation.”

Asmaa, who is also the Assistant Director of the Qatar Organ Donation Centre, added: “I am proud that my country is investing in developing research skills and knowledge in organ donation. I want to find the gap between knowledge and practice in different faith and ethnic communities, and to see if there is any type of intervention I can bring about to improve organ donation in Qatar.”

Professor Randhawa is recognised as an expert on the topic of organ donation and has published numerous educational books on the subject, as well as recently being invited to take part in the UK government’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ethnicity Transplantation and Transfusion.

Earlier this year, he also appeared alongside ex-footballer Andy Cole on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to reiterate the importance of increasing the number of registered minority organ donors in the UK.

Professor Riadh Fahil, Director of the Qatar Organ Donation Centre, explained why this new project is beneficial to the country: “We have a longstanding relationship with Professor Randhawa in recognition of his 30-year track record as a world-leading researcher on organ donation and public engagement. His latest book will help us to develop best practices in public engagement and help us increase our organ donation rates in Qatar.

“Many Gulf countries follow similar healthcare systems as the UK and are seeking to increase their organ donation rates. In the past 10 years there has been an increase of organ donation in the UK. It is important for us to learn the various strategies used to mirror this success and overcome some of the barriers in Qatar.”

Click here to find out more about Professor Randhawa’s new book and how to purchase a copy.