M. Addis1, E. J. Minja1, R. S. Chamberlain1,2,3 1Saint Barnabas Medical Center,General Surgery,Livingston, NJ, USA 2University Of Medicine And Dentistry Of New Jersey,Newark, NJ, USA 3Saint George’s University,Grenada, Grenada, Grenada
Introduction: Despite numerous global policies and strategies to improve the availability of organs for transplantation from both living and deceased donors, the organ shortage problem remains enormous. Differences in cultures, mythology, and religious beliefs play a significant role in the availability of organs for transplantation. This study examines the impact of religious belief system on organ donation worldwide. Specifically this report focuses on the impact of religion on kidney and liver donations which comprise the majority of transplant performed worldwide, and for which living donation is possible.
Methods: Organ donation statistics (2009) from countries performing more than 100 kidney and/or liver transplantations per year was analyzed. Living and deceased kidney transplant donors as well as partial and deceased liver transplant donors were analyzed together and separately based on census date in regards to the primary religion in the unique country.
Results: The overwhelming majority of organ donors, both living and deceased, are from countries where Christianity, Daoism and Hinduism are the main religions. When analyzed for type of donation, Hindus and Muslims overwhelmingly prefer living donation compared to faiths as Christianity, Daoism, Jewish and Buddhism who donate almost equally between living and deceased (Figure 1).
Conclusion: Organ donations arise primarily from a sense of altruism, excluding nations in which donors are paid directly. Different cultures and faiths such as Christianity, Daoism, Judaism and Buddhism appear to be faith systems that both promote and place fewer limitations on the type of organ donation, hence almost equal distribution between living and deceased donations are seen in countries where these religions are predominant. False or true, perceptions about desecration of a body during procurement may pose as limiting factors in explaining the limited availability of deceased organs from countries in which Islam and Hinduism are primary, although lack of medical infrastructure and lower socioeconomics is a reasonable alternative explanation as well. Additional exploration into the impact of religious belief systems on both the promotion and restriction on organ donation is important, and may be a critical factor underlying the absence of donation in many countries.
