Vietnam is taking the lead in Southeast Asia in organ transplants, performing more than 1,000 procedures each year, according to Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, chairwoman of the Vietnam Tissue and Organ Donation Advocacy Association.

Associate Professor Tien, who formerly served as Minister of Health, highlighted that Vietnam also mastered all essential transplant techniques while addressing a geriatric conference hosted by Thong Nhat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday.

The country has recorded a twofold rise in the number of organs donated by brain-dead individuals since the beginning of this year.

The healthcare sector is actively working to increase donations from brain-dead donors by implementing various measures.

Among these measures, she underscored the importance of establishing advocacy groups for organ and tissue donations within hospitals.

Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, chairwoman of the Vietnam Tissue and Organ Donation Advocacy Association, addresses a geriatric conference hosted by Thong Nhat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City on November 2, 2024. Photo: P.T.

Dong Van He, director of the Vietnam National Coordinating Center for Human Organ Transplantation, added that 29 hospitals across the country are now capable of performing organ transplants, contributing to over 1,000 procedures annually, placing Vietnam at the forefront of Southeast Asia in this field.

By 2024, organs from brain-dead donors made up 10 percent of total donations.

However, this figure remains low, as awareness about brain-dead organ donations within the medical community is limited.

Only around 10 percent of doctors and nurses fully understand the importance of donations from brain-dead individuals.

He elaborated that the world’s oldest cornea donor was 107 years old and the oldest organ donor was 92.

In 2023, up to 40 percent of organ donors in the U.S. were over 50 years old. Globally, one in four organ transplant recipients is aged 65, indicating that age is not a barrier to donating or receiving an organ.

He also underlined the need for coordination efforts among multiple hospitals and medical facilities to perform transplants from deceased donors.

Currently, brain-dead organ donations in Vietnam are still modest.

Last year, 94 percent of organ donations came from living donors, while brain-dead donations accounted for only six percent, far below the international range of 50-90 percent.

For instance, Spain took the lead globally with 50 brain-dead organ donors per one million people, saving countless lives. 

In the U.S., organ donations successfully save around 42,000 lives each year, Tien said.

Speaking at the conference, Associate Professor Le Dinh Thanh, director at Thong Nhat Hospital, revealed that the hospital has successfully conducted 15 kidney transplants with technical support from Cho Ray Hospital specialists, giving new hope to many patients.

The hospital is preparing for liver transplants with the support and technology transfer from 108 Military Central Hospital, Thanh added.

On Saturday, Thong Nhat Hospital also launched an Organ Donation Advocacy Group, an essential initiative aimed at advancing organ transplantation and creating more life-saving opportunities for patients in need.

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