Paperjam.lu

 

Publishing the data to mark world organ donor day on 17 October, the health ministry reported that Luxembourg remained among the worst-performing countries when it came to donors with an average of 11.6 donors per million inhabitants in 2018.

The best performers were Croatia, 36.8; Belgium, 29.4; and Austria, 22.9, while the average of Eurotransplant countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia) was 11.6 donors per million inhabitants.

Luxembourg operates under an organ donation opt-out system, meaning that everyone is theoretically an organ donor if their brain activity ceases. However, in practice, health practitioners always obtain the consent of the deceased’s relatives or family, which in many cases refuse.

According to the ministry, in 2019 there were just four donors donors in Luxembourg, providing six kidneys, three hearts, three livers, two pancreas, two lungs and eight tissues. In 2018 there were seven donors and in 2017, nine.

All private citizens can share their wishes regarding organ donation by carrying an organ donor card or “Passeport de Vie”, or downloading the application from the App Store and Google Play.

People can also show solidarity for people on the waiting list and raise awareness by attending a spinning marathon being organised by Luxembourg Transplant on 20 October for World Organ Donor Day. The event takes place at Luxexpo-The Box, from 10am to 6:25pm.

Click here to find out more about organ donation.