The Department of Health through the Philippine Organ Donation and Transplantation Program (PODTP)-Philippine Network for Organ Sharing (PhilNOS), emphasizes the significance of empowering our country's initiatives for organ and tissue donation as we observe the National Organ and Blood Donation Awareness Week.
National Organ and Donation Awareness Week is an essential event celebrated every last week of June that aims to educate and raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation. Organ donation plays a crucial role in saving lives and improving the quality of life for many individuals suffering from various health conditions.
The Department of Health’s (DOH) Life through Numbers Data in observance of the National Organ and Blood Donation Awareness Week. Photo courtesy of DOH
Based on the data from the Department of Health (DOH), there are 40 organs from deceased donors transplanted in 2022 from 6 organs in 2021; 20 organ donations from deceased donors in 2022 from 3 donors in 2021; and 209 corneas transplanted from 128 in 2022. There is also a 25 percent increase in enlistment from 111 transplant candidates in 2021 to 139 in 2022.
According to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI)-Human Organ Preservation Effort (H.O.P.E), Ezra Rosario, a 3-year old boy from Ilocos Norte who had an accident during his family’s summer outing on November 2022, has been declared the youngest organ donor since the program started, and also the first pedia organ donor of St. Luke’s Medical Center. A 24-year old is the recipient of Ezra’s kidney, and there are seven recipients of Ezra’ corneas.
“It’s difficult to process what happened. [Ngunit] maiksi man ang kaniyang pananatili, si Ezra naman ang naging daan sa pagdudugtong ng bagong kabanata ng buhay ng iba,” says Jennae Rosario, the mother of Ezra.
This week-long event provides a platform to inform the public about the significance of this selfless act and encourages individuals to become organ donors. Moreover, it also highlights the challenges faced by organ transplant recipients and their families, as well as the need for increased efforts to increase the availability of organs for transplantation. (GATS/PIA MIMAROPA)
