With around 1,800 Australians on the organ transplant waitlist, including almost 40 kids and teens aged 18 and under, the demand for donors has never been greater.
The Minister responsible for the national program to increase organ and tissue donation, Dr David Gillespie, says there are around 13 million Australians aged 16-plus who are eligible to register as organ and tissue donors – but haven’t. People aged 25 and under, those born overseas, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are least likely to be registered.
“Having spent the majority of my career as a doctor, organ donation is a topic close to many clinicians’ hearts, including mine,” Dr Gillespie said.
“We know most Australians actually support organ and tissue donation, in fact, a recent poll of 60,000 Australians showed four out of five say they’d be willing to donate their organs when they die.
“So the problem isn’t that Australians are against organ and tissue donation – it’s that they’re not sure if they’re eligible to register, don’t know how to or simply haven’t got around to it.”
Anyone aged 16 and over can sign up online. It doesn’t matter how old you are, your medical history, your lifestyle, what country you’re from or how healthy you are – you can still register as an organ and tissue donor.
“Don’t rule yourself out even if you think you’ve lived an unhealthy life or have suffered illness; let doctors make that decision if the time comes,” Dr Gillespie said.
Registering is easy and only takes one minute at donatelife.gov.au.
