The Irish Kidney Association

11th European Day for Organ Donation & Transplantation
Sunday, 4th October  2009

Sunday, 4th October marked the 11th European Day for Organ Donation & Transplantation. 

This organ donor awareness event, which was organised by the Council of Europe, aimed to raise awareness and encourage social debate in European countries of the importance of organ donation and subsequent transplantation as life saving, to express solidarity and support to all those in need of organ transplantation and to honour all organ donors and their families. It was also an opportunity to thank all transplantation professionals throughout Europe whose work helped save and improve the quality of lives for so many people who suffer from organ failure.

In Ireland, thanks to the generosity of 81 deceased donors and their families consent for donation, 214 organs were transplanted in 2008. Ireland’s rate of transplantation 2.64 organs per donor compares poorly with Austria and Switzerland whose rates are both over 3.6 organs per donor. This highlights Ireland’s poor heart and lung transplant rates. The 2008 Council of Europe figures reveal that Ireland is in 13th place amongst other European countries for deceased organ donors, dropping from 7th position in 2007.  This represents a deceased organ donor rate of 18.4 per million of population compared with 34 per million of population in Spain.

Almost 2400 people in Ireland are enjoying extended life as a result of receiving organ transplants but there are currently over 600 people in Ireland awaiting life saving transplant operations.

The Irish Kidney Association is the organisation in Ireland which promotes and distributes the organ donor card.  To highlight European Day, the Irish Kidney Association aims to encourage the general public to carry the organ donor card and to emphasize the importance for discussion with their next of kin about organ donation so that in the event of untimely death their wishes are known.

The modern reality that, you are three times more likely in your lifetime to find yourself with a pool of people awaiting a transplant than you are ever likely to become a suitable organ donor.

This year Germany was host for the Day and there was be a celebration at the Brandenburg Gates in Berlin. Germany will also hosted an international conference in Berlin on organ donation and transplantation. It was be attended by representatives of organisations and members of the medical profession from over 33 Council of Europe states.

A summary of Ireland’s ranking based on 2008 European figures for Organ Donation and Transplantation:-

13th For Deceased Organ Donors
10th For Deceased Kidney Transplantation
23rd    For Living Kidney Transplantation
16th For Deceased & Living and Kidney Transplantation
12th For Deceased Liver Transplantation
24th For Deceased Heart Transplantation
16th For Deceased Lung Transplantation
4th For Pancreas Transplantation
16th For all Deceased Organ Transplantation
16th For Organs Transplanted per deceased donor

Organ donor cards can be obtained from the Irish Kidney Association by texting DONOR to 50050. Organ donor cards are also available in pharmacies around Ireland.