The organ shortage in South Africa is severe for kidney transplants – the country’s most in-demand organ, compared to others.
This is according to the Organ Donor Foundation, which highlighted that there are about 4 700 people in South Africa waiting for a life-saving organ or cornea transplant.
According to the foundation, a mere 0,2% of the country’s population is registered as organ donors.
The organ donation process is the procedure of donating an organ, or a portion of an organ, to be transplanted into another individual. These transplants can involve the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas, intestines, and tissues like corneas and skin.
“In South Africa, there is a critical need for greater awareness and participation in organ donation. The waiting lists are growing, and more people, including young children, are dying almost every day while waiting for organs,” said Murray Hewlett, chief executive officer (CEO) of Affinity Health, a health cover provider.
The shortage in organ donation and South Africans’ reluctancy to donate organs is blamed on various factors such as the negative public perception of organ donation fed by media coverage about the illicit sale of organs, and also religious and cultural beliefs.
The public is advised to operate on their own notions when considering organ donation.
