The National Coordinating Center for Human Organ Transplantation and the Vietnam Tissue and Organ Donation Advocacy Association held a seminar to strengthen communication and encourage organ and tissue donation from deceased/post-brain-death donors on March 5 in Hanoi.
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, Chairman of the National Medical Council, noted that since the first kidney transplant in 1992, Vietnam has successfully performed over 9,300 transplants across 28 hospitals nationwide. The country now conducts more than 1,000 transplants annually, the highest in Southeast Asia. However, organ donation from brain-dead individuals remains critically low.
The demand for organ transplants is rising, yet donations from deceased/ post-brain-death donors remain scarce due to limited public awareness and ineffective communication efforts, he said, adding that a lack of clear policies and incentives for organ donation counseling further hinders progress.
Former Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Tissue and Organ Donation Advocacy Association, highlighted that since the Prime Minister’s call for organ donation on May 19, 2024, many hospitals have launched campaigns encouraging post-brain-death organ and tissue donation. As a result, 16 advocacy chapters have been established nationwide.
"In 2024, Vietnam recorded 41 posthumous organ donations, the highest annual figure to date, surpassing the total of the previous three years combined (36 cases from 2021 to 2023)," she noted. By the end of 2024, more than 102,750 people had registered as organ donors.
To further promote donation, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien proposed introducing policies to recognize and honor families who consent to organ donation from brain-dead relatives.
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan added that the ministry is working on policies to support hospitals and organizations in establishing dedicated organ donation counseling teams with proper incentives. Efforts will also be intensified through digital platforms and social media to raise public awareness and encourage a long-term shift in perception.
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