World Organ Donation Day is annually observed across the globe on 13 August to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation, encourage people to become organ donors, and promote organ donation to save lives.
- The Day provides an opportunity to educate the public about the organ donation process globally, addressing common myths and misconceptions.
The theme/slogan for World Organ Donation Day 2024 is, “Be the Reason for Someone’s Smile Today!”
Background:
i.The world’s 1st successful living donor kidney transplant was performed in 1954 by American surgeon Dr. Joseph E. Murray and his associates at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (now Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH)) in Boston, Massachusetts, the United States of America (USA).
- The transplant took place between identical twins, Ronald and Richard Lee Herrick, with Ronald donating a kidney to Richard, who had chronic kidney failure.
ii.Joseph E. Murray was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1990 with American physician E. Donnall Thomas “for their discoveries concerning organ and cell transplantation in the treatment of human disease.”
Types of Organ Donation:
i.There are 2 primary types of organ donation: Living donation and deceased donation.
ii.Living donors can donate one of their kidneys or a part of their liver (while still alive).
iii.Deceased donation occurs after a donor’s death, typically following brain death. They can provide multiple organs and tissues that are viable for transplantation.
- Organ donation can only be considered after death has been declared by a physician.
Key Facts:
i.One registered donor can save up to 8 lives through solid organ donation and improve the lives of over 75 more by donating tissue and corneas.
ii.A single donor can donate multiple organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and small intestine.
Organ Donation Day in India:
i.The Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD) is annually celebrated across India on 3rd August to commemorate the 1st successful deceased donor organ transplant, the 1st Heart transplant in India.
ii.Organ donation in India is regulated by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA) of 1994, which allows everyone to donate organs, though preferably people over 18 years of age are considered.
