More and more Belgians are registering to donate organs after death, according to the 2023 annual report of the federal database Orgadon.
In Belgium, consenting to give organs away is not strictly necessary as everyone is presumed to be a potential donor. However, individuals have the right to oppose or give explicit consent.
From 1 January to 31 December of the last fiscal year, there has been an increase in the number of explicit consent declarations for transplants, drug manufacturing (innovative therapies), and scientific research in Belgium.
The rise in the number of explicit consent declarations in 2023 can partly be attributed to the growing prominence of Orgadon. Approvals for medical applications (transplantation) saw the largest increase, while there was a smaller rise in consents for drug manufacturing and research purposes.
The number of oppositions also increased but less significantly than the number of explicit consent declarations, according to the report.
As in 2022, over eight out of ten registered donors are living donors, as stated by Orgadon. Additionally, more than six out of ten deceased donors are over 55 years old, and the proportion of effective deceased donors compared to the number of deaths in Belgium tends to slightly increase.
Orgadon's federal database contains information on living and deceased donors, those who actually provided materials, and the expressions of willingness, consent, or opposition.
