Vietnam leads Southeast Asia in organ transplants but struggles with low donor rates

By Le Phuong   December 24, 2024 | 01:00 am PT
Vietnam leads Southeast Asia in organ transplants but struggles with low donor rates
Surgeons retrieve organs from an 18-year-old brain-dead boy at Thong Nhat Hospital in HCMC, Nov. 24, 2024. Photo courtesy of the hospital
Vietnam has become the only Southeast Asian country performing over 1,000 organ transplants annually since 2022, but its rate of brain-dead organ donors remains among the lowest in the world.

Each year, Vietnam performs about 100 liver transplants, 90 heart transplants, 13 lung transplants, and two each of pancreas and small intestine transplants, Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, chair of the Vietnam Organ and Tissue Donation Advocacy Association, said at a workshop held Monday as part of Organ Donation Week.

Globally, the U.S. leads with over 44,000 transplants annually, followed by China with more than 19,600 cases.

Despite Vietnam's advancements in transplant techniques and its growing number of licensed hospitals—now at 28—brain-dead organ donations remain a critical bottleneck.

Vietnam, where many people hold the belief that one should die wholly for reincarnation, recorded 36 brain-dead organ donors this year, the highest in its history, doubling the percentage of transplants from these donors from 6% previously to 12%. From 2010 to 2022, the country averaged only 10 such donations annually, which increased to 14 last year.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's decision to register as a donor in May has been credited with raising public awareness and encouraging more donations. However, the country’s donor rate is still far below the global average.

Worldwide, 60% of transplants depend on brain-dead donors, with some countries exceeding 90%. In 2023, around 40,000 brain-dead donors were reported globally.

Many European countries adopt presumed consent systems, where organs are automatically donated unless families object. Other countries use driver’s licenses to indicate consent, allow organ donations from prisoners, or permit HIV-positive individuals to donate to others with the same condition.

"Organ transplant costs are more economical compared to long-term treatments," Tien said, highlighting that kidney transplant expenses covered by insurance are half those of dialysis or peritoneal dialysis, with patients enjoying a better quality of life. Vietnam plans for health insurance to soon fully cover kidney transplant costs, aligning with global practices where insurance typically covers organ transplants.

Nguyen Hoang Phuc, Deputy Director of the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center, warned that the shortage of organ donations could fuel illegal trade and corruption.

"Nearly 10,000 brain deaths occur annually in Vietnam due to traffic accidents—an unfortunate reality—but organ donations remain minimal," Phuc said, calling it a "waste of immense potential resources."

Vietnam has seen several organ trafficking cases, including some led by former organ sellers.

 
 
go to top