Organ donations in Germany: grievances and new solutions!

Organ donations in Germany: grievances and new solutions!

In Germany, over 8,000 people are on the waiting list for a donor organ, while only around 900 people become organ donors every year. This represents an urgent problem in the healthcare system, which is also particularly noticeable in the countries of Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, which are below the national average in terms of organ donation. This information was presented by the German Organ Transplantation (DSO) Foundation at the annual conference in Mainz. In this context, Health Minister Clemens Hoch emphasizes that there are significant differences to eastern federal states where the organ donor rate is traditionally higher.

A historical review shows that the resolution solution was recognized in the former GDR and was socially recognized. This is in contrast to the current situation in which most of the decisions for organ donation are made by the potential donors themselves. Where there is no decision, the relatives have to decide - and statistically speaking, they often decide against organ donation. Common reasons for this rejection are lack of information and a fundamentally negative attitude towards organ donation.

The contradiction solution: a solution?

The idea of ​​a resolution of opposition is discussed in Germany both politically and socially. Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach describes the resolution of the contradiction as "without an alternative" to increase the organ donation rate. The North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Health, Karl-Josef Laumann, plans to contribute a law on the introduction of such a regulation in the Federal Council. The approach of the contradiction solution stipulates that all people are considered to be organ donors, unless they contradict.

Nevertheless, there are also critical voices for this regulation. While countries like Spain have a significantly higher donor rate of 48.9 per million inhabitants with an objection solution, the quota in Germany is only 11.4. Critical analyzes show that the organ transplant -relevant statistics between countries with different regulations show no significant difference in the organ donor rates. In 2019, a study came to the conclusion that the change to the solution to the objection in five countries only led to a marginal increase in the donor rate.

Current numbers and society as a whole

In 2024, 2,854 organs were taken postmortal in Germany, which represents a slight decline compared to 2023. Most of the withdrawals concerned kidneys (1,391), followed by liver (785) and heart (315). Despite the help, which was given to 2,902 seriously ill people through organ donation, only a small part of the potential donors (15.3%) was ready to give their consent in advance.

Axel Rahmel, Medical Board of the DSO, emphasizes the need for a comprehensive information and training of the clinic staff in order to increase the number of organ donation. A cultural change in society towards a more open attitude towards organ donation is crucial to improve the situation.

The debate about the resolution of the objection and the associated structural and social factors remains a current topic. It becomes clear that a sole change in the legal regulations is not sufficient to significantly increase the organ donor rate. Rather, cultural barriers and information deficits must also be broken down in order to improve the chance of life through organ donation for many waiting people. This reports, among other things, antenne mainz , Tagesschau and Apotheke Umschau .