Three Ethical Ways to Increase Organ Donation in Australia

June 5, 2015

(The Conversation) – Australia’s organ donation levels are low by international standards. At least twenty countries achieve better donation rates than Australia’s 16.1 donors per million population (DPMP), including Belgium (29.9 DPMP), the United States (25.9), France (25.5) and the United Kingdom (20.8). The review of Australia’s tissue and organ transplantation systems, announced last week, aims to increase organ donation rates by focusing on the role of the national Organ and Tissue Authority, which helps coordinate donation services. However, many of the key policy settings are in the hands of state and territory governments.