Organ donation hampered by lack of dialogue

After 50 years of the first organ transplant in Brazil, many families still refuse to donate the organs of their deceased relatives upon brain death. According to general surgeon Lúcio Pacheco, chairman of the Brazilian Organ Transplant Association (ABTO), this scenario is not going to change unless people start declaring themselves as donors to their family members rather than putting the issue off to decide when emergencies arise.

According to ABTO, in 2013, 47% of Brazilian families refused to donate the organs of their relatives diagnosed with brain death, an increase from 42% in 2012. “It doesn't mean that Brazilians' kind and caring character has changed. What might have changed is that Brazilians are talking less about it at home. Our campaign is precisely meant to get people to talk more about that with their relatives,” Pacheco said.

The referred campaign, called “Eu Assumi” (“I Declare”), was launched this month by ABTO to encourage people to let their family members know that they want to donate. One way of doing this is on social networks. “But note that the official decision to donate can only be made upon brain death. No statements given during the donor's lifetime are valid for organ donation. The decision is always up to the donor's family members, usually in compliance with the donor's wish,” the surgeon said.

According to Pacheco, when the media reports cases of organ donation, people are encouraged to discuss the issue further.

Brazil, the world's number two for transplants

According to an ABTO report, Brazil ranks 30th among the world's countries by transplants performed in proportion to its population. But in absolute numbers, the country is second only to the United States.

In 2013, 7,649 solid organ transplants were performed in Brazil. Later the same year, the waiting list for an organ was almost 24,000 people.

The chairman of the Rio de Janeiro State Association of Liver-Transplanted Patients, Carlos Roberto Cabral, himself a beneficiary of a liver transplant 11 years ago, the issue is still largely overlooked and would require more awareness campaigns. “In practice, campaigns tend to be more emotionally appealing than educational. We need to get people familiarized with the donation process, let them know that it's safe, and tell them about how brain death is diagnosed,” he explained.

Translated by Mayra Borges