Raising awareness about organ donation

The state of organ donation in Bangladesh is alarmingly poor. Despite the first successful kidney transplant in 1988, fewer than 1,000 kidney transplants have been performed since. Meanwhile, around 40,000 people suffer from kidney failure each year, yet only about 150 transplants are carried out annually. The situation for other vital organs is no better. Liver, heart, and lung transplants are virtually non-existent, with only four liver transplants completed to date. Corneal transplants are minimal-just 40 to 50 per year-despite half a million people suffering from corneal blindness.

The primary cause of this dismal picture is the absence of cadaveric organ donation. In most countries, organs from deceased donors are the cornerstone of transplant medicine. A single deceased donor can potentially save up to five lives. Yet in Bangladesh, no organs are currently collected from the deceased due to widespread superstition and religious misconceptions.

Notable cultural figures like Waheedul Huq and Kamal Lohani have shown the way by donating their bodies for medical research. But broader public awareness and trust are lacking. According to Professor Harunur Rashid of the Society of Organ Transplantation Bangladesh, cadaveric transplantation must be introduced urgently to meet the overwhelming demand.

To move forward, the government, religious leaders, and healthcare professionals must jointly lead education campaigns to dispel myths and encourage a culture of donation. Without such steps, countless lives will continue to be needlessly lost.

Ashikujaman Syed

Business Development Manager

Tianjin Pharmacn Medical Technology Co., Ltd., China

syedashikujaman@yahoo.com