More Australians will have access to a life-saving transplant with a new strategy laying out the steps for Australia to become a world-leader in organ donation, retrieval, and transplantation.
All Australian Governments have endorsed the National Strategy for Organ Donation, Retrieval and Transplantation.
It builds on past successes to improve organ donation and transplantation rates, while outlining a roadmap for future growth in the organ donation, retrieval, and transplantation sector.
There are around 1,800 Australians on the organ transplant waitlist and 14,000 more on dialysis for kidney failure, many of whom may benefit from a kidney transplant.
The strategy was developed in consultation with all state and territory governments, the Organ and Tissue Authority (OTA), and the clinical and community sectors, after a comprehensive review of Australia's system.
In the first decade of OTA's national DonateLife program, there was an increase in deceased donation that led to an 81 per cent increase in the number of people receiving a transplant.
While great news for organ recipients and their families, the review found this increased donation activity placed pressure on organ retrieval and transplantation services.
The strategy outlines four priorities:
- greater national coordination of the organ donation, retrieval, and transplantation system
- equitable access for all Australians needing a transplant, including for people living in rural and regional Australia, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,
- enhanced organ retrieval and transplantation capability and capacity, and
- better systems for data collection and reporting.
Addressing inequities in the sector is crucial. Only 15 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with kidney disease receive a kidney transplant, compared to 49 per cent of non-Indigenous Australians.
The strategy also recognises the importance of clinical practice improvements, including using new technology to help increase donation and transplantation rates.
The Australian Government, state and territory governments, the OTA, and key clinical and community stakeholders will work together to implement the strategy.
Australians are encouraged to register to become an organ and tissue donor. It only takes one minute to register using the Medicare app or by visiting donatelife.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister Ged Kearney MP:
"The Australian Government is pleased to release this new strategy which lays out our ambition to become a world leader in organ donation, retrieval, and transplantation.
"Despite significant progress with the DonateLife program, there remains challenges to ensuring all Australians can access the transplant they need.
"We need to improve health outcomes among First Nations people, and this includes reducing barriers to accessing organ transplantation.
"It is important to increase access to organ transplantation for Australians as it is often the best, if not the only, treatment for advanced organ failure."
