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Articles on Organ donation rates

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Liver transplant surgery. Gabriel Borda / Flickr

Organ donation: whether we opt in or out, research finds it’s the will of our family that matters

Contrary to what we may think, changing people’s default status from non-donor to donor cannot significantly increase organ donation rates — as long as the family is involved in the decision.
Eighty-five per cent of Ontarians support organ donation, but only one-third have opted in under the current system. (Shutterstock)

An opt-out organ donor system could address Canada’s shortage of organs for transplant

Thousands of Canadians are on waiting lists for life-saving organ transplants. An opt-out organ donor system, like the one Nova Scotia is implementing, could reduce avoidable deaths and suffering.
Accepting a donor kidney with a small risk of carrying HIV or hepatitis B or C might be worth thinking about. from www.shutterstock.com

Organs ‘too risky’ to donate may be safer than we think. We crunched the numbers and here’s what we found

Organs from gay men or injecting drug users, often rejected for transplants, could safely be used, so long as donors test negative for infections such as HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
A Nova Scotia woman displays the tattoo that marks her two liver transplants at the provincial legislature in Halifax in April 2019. The province’s Human Organ and Tissue Donation Act will allow Nova Scotians to donate their organs and tissue unless they opt out. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

A little nudge goes a long way in increasing organ donor registrations

Most Canadians support organ donation after death, but fewer than 25 per cent have registered to donate their organs. What can be done to encourage more registrations?
Despite having a higher than average rate of viable donors, Australia’s organ donation rate is lower than much of the developed world. from www.shutterstock.com

Speaking with: Aric Bendorf on how to increase organ donation rates in Australia

Australia was once a world leader in organ donations, but today it lags much of the developed world. William Isdale speaks with Aric Bendorf about how to improve Australia's organ donation rates.
It’s time to go beyond improving the mechanisms for implementing existing laws. KieferPix/Shutterstock/Shutterstock

Three ethical ways to increase organ donation in Australia

Australia’s organ donation levels are low by international standards. At least twenty countries achieve better donation rates than Australia’s 16.1 donors per million population (DPM).
More Australians may be able to donate or receive organs if proposed NHMRC guidelines are adopted. Shutterstock

Waste not, want not: new organ donation policy could save lives

Australia has never had a great deceased organ donor rate – and it fell last year. But proposed guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) could change how donor organs are…

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