Spain returned to beat its record of organ donation and transplantation, with 36 donors per million people and a total of 4,360 transplant recipients in 2014.

Spain confirms its world leadership in organ donation and transplantation again beating his own record, achieving a total of 4,360 transplanted patients during the year 2014. The growth areas were in kidney and heart transplants thanks to the generosity of 1,682 donors. Although Spain is the world leader in organ donation for the last 23 years without interruption, its deceased donation grew by 1.6% in 2014 with the donation rate rising to 36 donors per million people (DPMP).

The Spanish Minister for Health, Social Services and Equality emphasised the great problem-solving capacity of the Spanish organ donation and transplant system despite the difficulties of the environment and ensured that their sustainability is today guaranteed.

The Director of the National Transplant Organisation (ONT), Rafael Matesanz, explained that the increase in the number of transplant patients in Spain is possible because of the generosity of citizens and the effectiveness of the public health system. Matesanz detailed the activity data on donation and transplantation across the network over the past year:

• The number of deceased donors grew 1.6% achieving 1,682 donors in 2014 (36 DPMP).
• 11% increase in living kidney donation.
• 21% increase in the donors after circulatory death thanks to the whole-of-hospital approach to organ donation that has been implemented across the hospitals in Spain.
• 5% and 6% increase in renal and cardiac transplantation. 2,943 patients had a second opportunity for life in 2014.
• The regions of La Rioja (56.4 DPMP), Cantabria (52.7 DPMP) and Castilla y León (48.5 DPMP) led the autonomous communities’ rankings within Spain. Following them closely are Asturias, the Balearic Islands and Navarra with rates higher than 45 DPMP.

Source: www.ont.es.