Organ Donor Numbers Rose in 2013

A 10 per cent increase in the number of deceased organ donors in 2013 enabled 1222 Australians to receive an organ transplant.
Of those, 645 received kidney transplants, setting a new record. All this was possible due to the generosity of 391 deceased donors and their families according to figures released by the Australia and New Zealand Organ Donation Registry (ANZOD) and the Australian Organ and Tissue Authority.
Ms Anne Wilson, CEO Kidney Health Australia, said that while the statistics were promising, Australians can be doing more.
“Kidney Health Australia is encouraged to see the number of deceased organ donors continue to rise, but there is a long way to go,” said Ms Wilson, “The reality is that only about seven per cent of people on dialysis get a kidney transplant from a deceased donor each year.”
While the latest figures are positive, as of December 2013 there were still 1,076 Australians on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. The national average waiting time for a kidney transplant is three and a half years – meaning many Australians have to rely on regular dialysis to survive, which can have a dramatic impact on their ability to work, care for their families and travel.
“Australia needs to continue our national conversation about organ donation,” said Ms Wilson, “Whilst it certainly is positive to see deceased donor numbers increasing, it is critical to also recognise the need to increase live donation figures.”
“Live donor rates have been steadily decreasing since 2008, so it is encouraging to see that trend now reversing with 249 live kidney donations occurring in 2013 – a five per cent increase on 2012,” continued Ms Wilson.
According to Ms Wilson recent initiatives, such as the Federal Government’s Supporting Leave for Living Donors Scheme, is clearly achieving early results, despite the fact it has only been operating for six months