ShareLife Australia was established to ensure that Australians have the same access to organ transplantation as the citizens of the world’s leading countries. Australians are dying simply because there are not enough organs from deceased donors available for transplantation.

In 2003, Brian Myerson approached Marvin Weinman and together they decided to investigate whether there was a solution to the seemingly intractable low organ donation rate in Australia. ShareLife Australia was established in 2006 and played a key role in the formation of the national reform agenda, as noted in the Federal Government’s media release.

In March 2008, ShareLife approached the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd with a detailed plan to implement a modified ‘Spanish Model’ to save or greatly improve lives of thousands of Australians suffering from organ failure. The aim was to increase the organ donation for transplantation rate to levels achieved by the leading countries.

The Federal Government announced a $151m national reform package in July 2008 to “establish Australia as a World leader in organ donation for transplantation”. The implementation of the reform agenda is within the brief of the Organ and Tissue Authority (OTA). The world-leading countries were achieving more than 30 donors per million of population (dpmp) each year. Australia’s rate in 2008 was about 12.1 dpmp (259 Deceased Donors) and in 2021 has only risen to 16.4 dpmp (421 Deceased Donors).

Read more about who we are, why we are dedicated to this cause, and how we are working to deliver a solution.

ShareLife is an Outcomes Australia project. Click here to read a message from the late Major General Michael Jeffery, Former Chair of Outcomes Australia.

The Australian Government has committed itself to a National Reform Agenda for organ and tissue donation for transplantation. The rate of deceased organ and tissue donation has been shown to improve significantly in countries that follow the ‘Spanish model’.

ShareLife’s aim is to work constructively and collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholder groups to ensure that Australians have the same access to organ transplantation as the citizens of the world’s leading countries.

ShareLife is an Outcomes Australia project. Outcomes Australia former CEO, Dr Maria Gomez said: “I have worked closely with health departments and hospital leaders in countries around the world and I have seen first-hand the improvement in deceased organ donation rates when staff in hospitals are supported and trained to identify all potential deceased organ donors and then to provide the best support and information to families of the potential donors. I look forward to working with those tasked with Australia’s national reform and to contribute to this being achieved in Australia.”

ShareLife believes that the world’s best practice systems can be implemented in Australia and as a consequence more Australians will have a second chance at life.

It has been clearly demonstrated in leading countries that the most important step in increasing organ donation rates is in-hospital process reforms. Mass media campaigns to increase public awareness and numbers on organ donor registers have no significant impact on organ donation rates.

It is important to build on this and to work constructively to ensure that Australia achieves the highest levels possible. When Australia reaches this goal, there will be double the number of transplants being performed each year.

Watch stories from a donor’s family and a recipient here.

BACK TO TOP