Dotoal Project: Educational Actions on Organ and Tissue Donation in Ji-Paraná/ROABSTRACT
This experience report describes the extension activities developed through the Dotoal Project (2024–2025), conducted in Ji-Paraná, Rondônia, Brazil, with the aim of promoting awareness about organ, tissue, and bone marrow donation in the Legal Amazon region. Through lectures, discussion groups, community events, and digital dissemination activities, carried out in partnership with local institutions such as Estácio Idomed, the Regional Blood Center of Ji-Paraná (Hemojipa), and the Federal Institute of Rondônia (IFRO), the project sought to dispel misconceptions and strengthen the culture of organ donation. The activities reached approximately 1,660 participants through face-to-face actions and 23,228 social media accounts through digital outreach, contributing to increased public awareness and community engagement regarding organ donation. The project was submitted to and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Union of Higher Education Institutions of Ji-Paraná (UNIJIPA) under Opinion No. 8,264,992 and CAAE No. 93922325.6.0000.9147.
Descriptors
Tissue and Organ Procurement; Organ Transplantation; Health Education; Public Awareness; Health Promotion
RESUMO
Este relato de experiência descreve as ações extensionistas do Projeto Doação de Órgãos e Tecidos na Amazônia Legal (Dotoal) (2024-2025), realizado em Ji-Paraná/RO, com o objetivo de promover a conscientização sobre doação de órgãos, tecidos e medula óssea na Amazônia Legal. Por meio de palestras, rodas de conversa, eventos comunitários e divulgação digital, em parceria com instituições locais como Estácio Idomed, Hemocentro Regional de Ji-Paraná (Hemojipa) e Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Rondônia (IFRO), buscou-se desmistificar tabus e fortalecer a cultura da doação. As ações alcançaram aproximadamente 1.660 participantes presencialmente e 23.228 contas nas redes sociais, contribuindo para ampliar a discussão sobre doação de órgãos na comunidade. O projeto foi submetido ao Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa (CEP) da União das Escolas Superiores de Ji-Paraná (Unijipa) e aprovado sob o parecer n.º 8.264.992, com Certificado de Apresentação de Apreciação Ética (CAAE) n.º 93922325.6.0000.9147.
Descritores
Obtenção de Tecidos e Órgãos; Transplante de Órgãos; Educação em Saúde; Conscientização Pública; Promoção da Saúde
INTRODUCTION
Organ and tissue donation and transplantation represent important therapeutic strategies for end-stage organ failure, increasing survival and quality of life1. In Brazil, technical and organizational advancements in the transplant system have enabled the country to hold a prominent global position in terms of the absolute number of procedures performed, particularly through the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde-SUS), which is responsible for funding and maintaining this process2,3.
Despite these advances, the shortage of actual donors remains a significant public health challenge. Misinformation, family uncertainty, a lack of understanding regarding brain death, and sociocultural barriers reduce participation in organ donation4,5. Furthermore, the absence of accessible, evidence-based information fosters the persistence of myths and fears surrounding the donation and transplantation process6,7.
In this context, health education strategies are essential for promoting awareness, broadening dialogue, and strengthening the culture of donation. Continuing Health Education (CHE) and extension activities can stimulate teaching-learning processes aligned with social and community needs, thereby increasing public and healthcare professional awareness8,3.
However, reports on educational initiatives focused on organ donation in specific regional contexts remain scarce, especially in the Legal Amazon, where geographical, social, and structural factors can hinder access to information and awareness campaigns.
Therefore, this study aims to report the experience of the Organ and Tissue Donation Project in the Legal Amazon (Projeto Doação de Órgãos e Tecidos na Amazônia Legal — Dotoal), developed in the municipality of Ji-Paraná, Rondônia, describing extension initiatives focused on raising awareness about organ, tissue, and bone marrow donation, as well as their contributions to promoting health education and strengthening the culture of donation in the Legal Amazon.
Given that the project included voluntary testimonials from transplant recipients and actual donors, the study was submitted to the Research Ethics Committee (Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa — CEP) of the Union of Higher Education Schools of Ji-Paraná (União das Escolas Superiores de Ji-Paraná-Unijipa) and was approved under substantiating opinion no. 8,264,992, with Certificate of Presentation for Ethical Appreciation (Certificado de Apresentação de Apreciação Ética — CAAE) no. 93922325.6.0000.9147, in compliance with National Health Council (Conselho Nacional de Saúde — CNS) Resolution no. 466/2012.
METHODOLOGY
This extension experience report was developed through collaboration among the Faculdade Estácio Idomed, the Regional Blood Center of Ji-Paraná, Rondônia (Hemocentro Regional de Ji-Paraná/RO-Hemojipa), and the Federal Institute of Education, Science, and Technology of Rondônia (Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Rondônia- IFRO). Project Dotoal primarily focused on promoting awareness regarding organ, tissue, and bone marrow donation in the Northern region of Brazil, especially in the municipality of Ji-Paraná, Rondônia, within the context of the Legal Amazon.
Educational activities were planned based on the target audience's profile and the region's sociocultural specificities, focusing on promoting organ and tissue donation, as outlined in Table 1. Diverse methodologies were employed, such as workshops, roundtable discussions, lectures, individual and group interactions, thematic walks, and informational events. The activities took place between August 2024 and July 2025, prioritizing the dissemination of accessible and contextualized information. The reach of these actions was estimated based on the number of in-person participants and engagement metrics provided by the Instagram platform. There was no systematic collection of personal data or research involving human subjects; testimonials were informal and voluntary, shared anonymously for illustrative purposes to raise awareness.
All participants who contributed voluntary testimonials were informed about the objectives of the research and were guaranteed anonymity and the confidentiality of their information, in accordance with the ethical guidelines established by CNS Resolution no. 466/2012.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The activities were carried out between August 2024 and July 2025 through the Dotoal Project, which developed and implemented a series of initiatives aimed at raising awareness about organ, tissue, and bone marrow donation in the municipality of Ji-Paraná, Rondônia. These interventions took place in various social and academic settings, involving partnerships with healthcare institutions, educational organizations, and community events.
The first activity was held on September 26, 2024, with the presentation of the project during the Viva Estácio institutional event, providing the initial contact with the academic community. Subsequently, flyers were distributed among students from various courses at the Estácio Idomed faculty to broaden knowledge about the project and raise awareness of the importance of the subject matter. On October 27, 2024, an informal interview was conducted with the coordinator of the State Transplant Center (Central Estadual de Transplantes - CET), Ms. Edcleia Santos (Sesau/RO), whose illustrative voluntary testimonial enriched the theoretical and practical content of the actions.
Between October 31 and November 1, 2024, the project was presented at the 2nd Scientific Initiation and Extension Conference of Idomed, featuring activities focused on health education and active recruitment of potential donors, in partnership with Hemojipa. On November 6, a new activity at Hemojipa educated visiting members of the public. Participation in events such as the Jipamed Run (March 16, 2025) and an action at IFRO (April 17, 2025) expanded the reach of the activities, alongside continuous dissemination on Instagram via @projeto.dotoal.
In-person activities reached approximately 1,660 participants, including students, healthcare professionals, and the general public, in addition to the 23,228 accounts reached by the profile during the period (based on Instagram Insights data).
In this context, the extensive reach of the content published by the project's profile highlights the potential of social media as a complementary tool for health education. Recent studies demonstrate that digital platforms facilitate the dissemination of information regarding organ donation, increase public exposure to the topic, and stimulate discussions concerning the intention to donate9. Users perceive social media as accessible and suitable channels for sharing reliable information about donation and transplantation, particularly among young people. Thus, the Dotoal Project’s digital presence helped expand the reach of educational initiatives beyond in-person settings.
Additionally, a kidney transplant recipient shared her journey through an anonymous voluntary testimonial, illustrating the emotional impact and reinforcing the importance of educational campaigns aimed at raising public awareness. In-person activities directly changed participants' attitudes, as evidenced by engagement in donor registration and increased public interest in discussing organ donation within the family.
The results observed in this report are similar to those described in educational campaigns previously published in the national literature, in which dynamic and interactive activities fostered increased public interest in organ donation and encouraged family dialogue on the subject10. In the aforementioned study, following the educational interventions, the majority of participants expressed a desire to become donors, highlighting the positive impact of community awareness strategies.
According to the Government of Rondônia11, the state leads the North region in the number of organ donations, with 42 donors per million population (pmp)—a figure exceeding the national average of 18.1 pmp. This aligns with the guidelines of the National Policy for Encouraging Organ and Tissue Donation (Política Nacional de Incentivo à Doação de Órgãos e Tecidos) Law No. 14.722/2023, which emphasizes regional educational initiatives12.
The literature shows that a lack of knowledge regarding brain death, transplantation, and the donation process persists, even among healthcare students and professionals. Similarly, assessments of medical and nursing students revealed significant knowledge gaps concerning organ donation and transplantation, underscoring the need for ongoing educational initiatives throughout their academic training13.
This underscores the need to broaden understanding among both professionals, especially nurses, and society regarding the organ and tissue donation-to-transplantation process—so that, consequently, the family acceptance rate can be increased14.
Furthermore, national publications on organ donation and transplantation indicate that emotional factors, family uncertainty, misinformation, and communication difficulties remain significant barriers to the realization of organ donation15,16. In this context, accessible and person-centered educational strategies are essential for strengthening public trust in the transplant system.
Another relevant aspect concerns the use of participatory educational methodologies in a project involving elementary school students; this demonstrated that early educational interventions foster social awareness regarding the importance of organ donation, thereby expanding family and community dialogue on the subject17. Similarly, the Dotoal Project sought to use accessible language and community engagement to broaden the reach of information and raise social awareness.
Carrying out the actions in a municipality located in the Legal Amazon represents a major strength of this study, considering the scarcity of scientific reports on health education focused on organ donation in this region. Geographical issues, regional inequalities, and limitations in access to information make extension initiatives that strengthen the dialogue between the university, health services, and the community fundamental.
A limitation of this study is the absence of a systematized quantitative assessment of the impact of the educational activities, which precluded an objective measurement of long-term changes in participant behavior and perception. Nevertheless, this report contributes to demonstrating the feasibility and relevance of outreach initiatives aimed at promoting a culture of organ donation within the Amazonian context.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Discussing organ and tissue donation requires sensitivity and an understanding of the multiple layers surrounding the topic, such as religious, cultural, and familial aspects, as well as taboos. The Dotoal Project addressed these dimensions in an ethical, empathetic, and educational manner, promoting the strengthening of the donation culture in Ji-Paraná, Rondônia.
The actions demonstrated a significant impact on awareness by providing opportunities for direct dialogue with students, healthcare professionals, and recipients. An increase in the visibility of the cause and the elucidation of myths was observed, with information contextualized to the Amazonian reality. This is a descriptive report of a completed extension experience, without systematic collection of personal data or research involving human subjects, pursuant to CNS Resolution 466/2012. This study was approved by the Unijipa Research Ethics Committee (CEP), under opinion no. 8,264,992 and CAAE no. 93922325.6.0000.9147.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors express their sincere gratitude to the Estácio-Idomed University Center in Ji-Paraná for its institutional support and encouragement of teaching, research, and outreach activities. They extend special thanks to the Rondônia State Transplant Center—represented by nurse Edcléia Gonçalves—for the partnership, availability, knowledge sharing, and technical-scientific support that were fundamental to the development of the Dotoal Project’s initiatives. They also thank the Ji-Paraná Regional Blood Center—represented by Ms. Cleide Araújo—for its collaboration, receptiveness, and significant contribution to activities raising awareness and promoting organ, tissue, and blood donation. Finally, they thank the students participating in the Dotoal Project for their commitment, dedication, and proactive role in health education, community engagement, and the dissemination of reliable information, all of which have contributed significantly to strengthening the culture of donation and achieving the project's objectives.
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DECLARATION OF USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS
The authors used artificial intelligence tools exclusively to assist with grammar checking, textual organization, and writing refinement. All scientific content, the interpretation of results, and the final version of the manuscript were prepared, reviewed, and approved by the authors, who assume full responsibility for its content.
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FUNDING
Not applicable.
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
All datasets were generated or analyzed in the current study.
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Edited by
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Section editor:
Ilka de Fátima Santana F. Boin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1165-2149
