Overview

• The weeklong event runs through 24 August, with 17 sports and more than 1,500 transplanted athletes among roughly 2,200 participants from around 50 nations, the first time the Games are hosted in Germany.
• A Parade of Nations through Dresden’s Altstadt led into the Heinz-Steyer-Stadion ceremony, where 13-year-old Franz Ludwig hoisted the World Transplant Games flag.
• The #ReasonToGive run in the Großer Garten drew about 500 people and surpassed its fundraising goal, with Dresden’s sports mayor Jan Donhauser among the runners.
• Saxony reported 72 donors and 182 organs recovered over the past year, while nearly 400 residents remained on waiting lists at the end of 2024 as Health Minister Petra Köpping urged broader postmortem consent.
• Across Germany, 8,575 people were on transplant waiting lists at year’s end and 2024 saw 953 deceased donors, with waits that can stretch up to a decade.