Vic: Australian households to encouraged to donate organs

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-2005
Vic: Australian households to encouraged to donate organs

MELBOURNE, Feb 18 AAP - Every Australian household will be sent an organ donation consent
form as part of a new campaign to increase organ donation.

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott announced the campaign at the launch of the Australian
Organ Donor Awareness Week in Melbourne today.

From April, every household will be sent a co-signed letter from the government and
the Pharmacy Guild inviting people to register their consent on the Australian Organ Donor
Register.

Mr Abbott said it was hoped the initiative would encourage more organ donation, with
Australia having one of the lowest rates of donation in the world.

"The problem at the moment is that our organ donation rates are very low," he said.

"Ours and New Zealand's are the lowest in the world at about 10 donations per million a year."

The initiative follows a decision by health ministers last month to change the Australian
Organ Donor Register to a register of consent, rather than intent.

Under the new arrangements, clinicians will not need to seek families' consent when
a person has registered legally valid consent through the register.

Close to 20,000 Australians are waiting for an organ transplant at any time.

In 2004, there were 218 Australian organ donors from whom 783 people received transplants.

Donors included cricketer David Hookes who died in January 2004.

His wife Robyn Hookes and several of Australia's sporting elite including close friend
of David, Shane Warne, were at the official launch.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has agreed to use $6 million of Australian government
funds from The Third Community Pharmacy Agreement for the new registration brochures and
the letters.

AAP rb/ce/drp/jlw

KEYWORD: ORGAN

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