The Australian Government is urging more Australians to register as organ and tissue donors and talk to their loved ones this DonateLife Week.
The week highlights the difference one donor can make, and why a simple registration can help families support a loved one's decision.
More than 20,000 Australians have received an organ transplant since the national DonateLife program began in 2009, thanks to the generosity of more than 7,500 deceased organ donors and their families.
But with 2,000 Australians on transplant waitlists and a further 14,000 on dialysis for kidney failure, the need for more registered donors remains urgent.
New research released today shows that 1 in 5 Australians who are not currently registered as organ donors - around 2.5 million people - would register if they could do so while applying for or renewing their driver's licence.
Modelling shows lifting Australia's donor registration rate from 35 per cent to 50 per cent could result in around 200 more Australians receiving a life-saving transplant each year.
South Australia has maintained donor registration through driver licences for more than a decade and now has the nation's highest donor registration rate at 74 per cent.
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Rebecca White MP, marked the start of DonateLife Week at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne, alongside transplant recipients, donor families and healthcare workers who help make organ donation possible.
One of those transplant recipients was nine-year-old Chloe Loo-Tandiyono. Born with a rare liver disease, Chloe received a life-saving liver transplant at just eight months of age.
The event also highlighted the legacy of Paul Carroll, whose organs helped save three lives following a tragic accident, giving others a second chance at life.
DonateLife Week runs until Sunday 2 August, with events and activities taking place across Australia to encourage more people to register as organ and tissue donors and talk to their family.
In Australia, families are always asked to support donation before it can proceed. Around eight in ten families agree when their loved one is registered as a donor, compared with only four in ten when they do not know their loved one's wishes.
Australians can register as an organ and tissue donor in just one minute at donatelife.gov.au or through their Medicare account.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister White:
"DonateLife Week is our national call to action for every Australian to help save and transform lives through organ and tissue donation.
"Behind every transplant is a family whose generosity has changed a life, and behind every waiting list is someone hoping for the chance to spend more time with the people they love.
"New research shows millions of Australians would be willing to register through their driver's licence, demonstrating there is strong community support for making registration as simple and easy as possible.
"We are committed to working with states and territories to explore opportunities to increase donor registration and help more Australians receive the transplants they need.
"Meeting Chloe today was a powerful reminder of why every donor registration matters. Her story shows how one decision can give someone a future they may not otherwise have had."
