Vietnam, leader in organ transplantation in Southeast Asia

Vietnam has become the leader in Southeast Asia in organ transplantation, carrying out more than 1,000 operations per year, former Minister of Health, Associate Professor-Doctor Nguyên Thi said on Monday (December 23). Kim Tien.

>> To improve the operations of organ transplant centers

However, the country faces significant challenges in donations from brain-dead donors, said Nguyên Thi Kim Tiên, during the launching ceremony of the Interhospital Association for the Donation of Human Tissues and Organs in the South.

Associate Professor-Doctor Nguyên Thi Kim Tiên, president of the Vietnam Campaign Association for Tissue and Organ Donation, pointed out that the country carries out the highest number of organ transplants in the region, of which around 100 liver transplants, 90 heart transplants, 13 lung transplants and two small intestine transplants each year.

According to Associate Professor-Doctor Nguyên Hoang Bac, director of the Ho Chi Minh City University Hospital, Vietnam has mastered transplantation techniques although it entered the field years after other countries, while marking a significant technological advancement in Southeast Asia.

However, Vietnam has the lowest rate of brain-dead organ donations in the region. While developed countries report that 50% to 90% of organ donations come from deceased donors, Vietnam shows an opposite trend, with 96% of transplants relying on living donors.

The problem of chronic organ shortage stems largely from a deep-rooted traditional belief that bodies should remain intact after death.

VNA/CVN