Point of View: Why does South Africa have an organ donation crisis?

Kaya 959 Reporter

There is a massive shortage of organ donors in South Africa.

According to available data, in South Africa, there are approximately 4300 persons waiting for organ donations at any given moment.

Typically, these individuals require new livers, kidneys, lungs, or hearts.

However, organ donors are very limited in the country. This isn’t a problem that only exists in South Africa. Many countries are unable to meet the global demand for donated organs.

Point of view with Phemelo Motene spoke to Dr Harriet Etheredge who is a bioethicist and health communication specialist as well as Prof Nokuthula Hlabangane who is a cultural expert about the ongoing organ donation crisis in the country.

LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION HERE:

Prof Nokuthula Hlabangane says there’s a lot to consider that has shaped society’s views about the process of organ donation.

“I would say that there are many factors that intervene, and knowledge and understanding alone can not be the thing that unravels the many things that get in the way. We need to understand where people are coming from. “

“We also need to understand what people’s understanding of both life and death is, and to what extent they understand the many factors that take away the sense of well-being from the average South African. To the extent that people do feel like so much has been extracted from them without their permission,” said Hlabangane.

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South Africa’s organ transplant regulation, according to experts, is very ambiguous.

Prior to a person’s death, the National Health Act states that consent to deceased organ donation can be written or spoken, and provided by a mentally competent individual in the presence of two witnesses.

This means that where a person expresses a desire to donate organs during his or her lifetime, a next-of-kin agreement isn’t required.

The panel also explored possible solutions for the South African organ donation crisis, using Spain as a reference.

In Spain, an “opt-out” system has been implemented, meaning that unless a person has provided a clear, written statement to the contrary, it is assumed that they consent to organ donation when they die.