Taiwan's organ transplants show growth in quantity and quality

Taipei, June 14 (CNA) Taiwan has seen significant growth in both the number of organ transplants performed and patient survival rates over the past decade, the Taiwan Organ Sharing Registry and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center (TOSRPAPC) said Saturday at a press conference.

According to the center's data, 2,165 people received organ transplants from 2023-2024, marking a 30 percent increase compared to the 2015-2016 period. The three-year survival rate also rose from around 70 percent to 93 percent, while the five-year survival rate exceeded 50 percent, figures comparable to that of developed Western countries.

Between 2015 and the end of May 2025, a total of 10,171 people received organ transplants, including tissue transplants.

In addition, the accumulated number of people in Taiwan who have signed the advance medical directive to donate organs has reached 660,000, the TOSRPAPC said.

However, the center noted that over 10,000 patients in Taiwan wait for organ transplants each year, with an average of 3.3 people dying each day before a suitable organ becomes available.

Of these patients, 78.5 percent are waiting for a kidney transplant, 8.8 percent for a cornea transplant and 7.9 percent for a liver transplant.

Lee Ming-che (李明哲), chairperson of the TOSRPAPC, said that in clinical practice, fewer than 20 percent of families of potential donors are willing to consent to organ donation, which is very low compared to global numbers.

That is because most cases involve a patient suffering serious brain damage who require their closest family members to decide whether to donate the organs.

It is difficult to make such a decision due to traditional values, especially when the trauma is sudden, Lee said.

In April 2024, the Ministry of Health and Welfare enabled the public to sign the advance medical directive to donate organs via their National Health Insurance cards, increasing the accessibility of the directive and reducing the number of days required to register it

According to the TOSRPAPC, the number of Taiwanese signing the directive has increased sixfold from 1,254 people in April 2024 to 7,897 in March 2025.

The press event was held ahead of the 10th anniversary of Organ Donation Memorial Day designated by the ministry on June 19.