The number of organ donations in Baden-Württemberg is declining. State Secretary Leidig appeals: Even in the corona pandemic, this topic should not be forgotten.
On the occasion of the day of organ donation on Saturday, the state of Baden-Württemberg hopes to be more willing to donate. According to the Ministry of Social Affairs (as of the end of April), 1,066 people in the country are on Eurotransplant’s waiting list. “They are all urgently waiting for an organ. We must not forget these people even in times of pandemics,” said State Secretary Ute Leidig (Greens) in a statement on Friday.
In Germany, consent to organ donation is voluntary – it is all the more important that people decide to do so. In Baden-Württemberg, 341 organs were donated post-mortem last year. These came from 107 people in the country.
No increase in donations expected
Unfortunately, the number is declining, said State Secretary Leidig. In 2019, 118 people from Baden-Württemberg donated their organs, in 2018 there were 126 people. The number of people from Baden-Württemberg who received an organ has also recently decreased. According to the ministry, 364 people in the country received an organ last year, 376 in 2019 and 403 in the previous year.
Even the latest figures from the German Organ Transplantation Foundation (DSO) did not suggest an increase in donations. From January to May of this year there were 46 organ donors with 153 donated organs in Baden-Württemberg. In the same period last year there were 60 donors with 183 organs.
Leidig pointed out information options, such as those of the “Alliance for Organ Donation”. Potential organ donors need information in order to be able to make up their minds, according to the Green politician.
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