World Organ Donation Day: History and significance

World Organ Donation Day is observed every year on August 13 across the globe. The purpose of observing this day is to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation and to encourage people to do the same. Organ failure was one of the major reasons that led to a large number of deaths during the pandemic. In fact, people used to lose their lives because of the unavailability of organs before the pandemic as well. Therefore, organ donation is a noble act that needs to be promoted.

Many countries also observe organ donation day as per their regional calendars to promote organ donation. In India, National Organ Donation Day is observed on November 27 from 2010.

Donating organs means you are giving someone a new lease of life. The first-ever successful living donor organ transplant was carried out in 1954 in the United States when Ronald Lee Herrick donated a kidney to his identical twin brother, Richard Lee Herrick. Doctor Joseph Murray won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1990 for successfully carrying out this kidney transplant.

Due to a lack of awareness, there are many false myths and fears about organ donation in the mind of potential donors. Medical science has improved by leaps and bounds over the years. In today’s era, great research has been carried out in the field of organ donation.

The aim of this day is to sensitise people about organ donation so that they pledge to donate organs after death.

According to reports, nearly 500,000 people die in India every year because of the non-availability of organs. Moreover, out of a total of 1,50,000 people that require a kidney transplant only 5,000 people are able to get a donor.

Therefore, if you donate an organ, you are literally giving new life to an individual, who is in desperate need of a particular organ.

It is worth noting that anyone, above the age of 18, can volunteer to be an organ donor irrespective of their age, caste and religion. It is, however, important to ensure that those volunteering to donate their organs do not suffer from diseases like HIV, cancer, heart ailments, and lung diseases. It is very important that the donor is in good health. You can sign up to be a donor once you reach 18 years of age.