Vietnam has made great strides in organ transplant technology, but the country lags behind in brain-dead organ donations compared to other countries globally. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, the President of the Vietnam Organ and Tissue Donation Association, shared this information at a ceremony in Quang Ninh province to establish an association advocating for human tissue and organ donation.
Although Vietnam has successfully conducted over 8,300 organ transplants since 1992, only 6% of these transplants involved organs donated from brain-dead individuals. This is significantly lower than global trends. The lack of brain-dead organ donations in Vietnam can be attributed to various factors such as religious beliefs, ineffective communication, and hospitals not prioritizing organ donation campaigns. As a result, Vietnam has one of the lowest rates of brain-dead organ donors globally, with only about 10 cases annually.
Recently, progress was made in diagnosing and resuscitating brain-dead patients, leading to an increase in the number of brain-dead organ donors. Establishing branches to promote human tissue and organ donation in hospitals has played a crucial role in expanding the network nationwide. This development paves the way for more patients with chronic and life-threatening diseases to receive transplants and advance the field of organ transplantation in Vietnam.
Despite these challenges, significant progress has been made by Vietnam over the past three decades. By continuing to raise awareness about human tissue and organ donation among healthcare providers and communities alike and training medical professionals on best practices for deceased donor management, more lives can be saved through transplantation.
