China has made significant progress in organ donation and transplantation in recent years. As of 2022, the five major systems have been fully established and developed:
1. Human Organ Donation System: The Red Cross Society of China plays a crucial role in promoting organ donation. More than 6.7 million people have registered in the national organ donation volunteer registration system.
2. Organ Procurement and Allocation System: In 2022, 112 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) completed 5,628 deceased organ donations, with a donation rate of 3.99 per million population (PMP). Each OPO has its own service area assigned by province-level health authorities. The China Organ Transplant Response System (COTRS) ensures fair, just, and transparent allocation of deceased donor organs based on medical needs.
3. Clinical Service System for Human Organ Transplantation: By the end of 2022, 183 medical institutions were qualified to perform organ transplantation. In 2022, 20229 organ transplant surgeries were completed, including 6053 liver, 12712 kidney, 710 heart, 799 lung transplants.
4. Quality Control System for Human Organ Transplantation: Quality control has been strengthened in donor evaluation, organ procurement, preservation, transportation, and transplant outcomes. In 2022, 1-year patient survival rates were 83.9% for liver, 97.6% for kidney, 81.4% for heart, and 59.2% for lung transplantation.
5. Regulatory System for Human Organ Donation and Transplantation: Laws, regulations, and policies have been established by 2007 State Council Regulation and further strengthened by its 2023 update, to prohibit organ trading, ensure transparency and traceability, protect the rights of donors and recipients, and impose severe penalties for violations.
China's organ donation and transplantation systems have entered a stage of steady and high-quality development. Continued efforts are needed to increase donation rates, optimize allocation, improve outcomes, strengthen oversight, and promote voluntary donation.
