Novartis supports government organ donation advocacy

MANILA, Philippines - Novartis is supporting the government’s advocacy on organ donation to address two important public health issues: the growing number of Filipinos with end-stage organ failure and the acute lack of organ donors in the country.

Two nationwide surveys conducted in 2001 and 2005 showed that public awareness on organ donation and transplantation is relatively low.

“Novartis unequivocally supports and sponsors ethical, legal and non-commercial efforts to promote organ donation and recruit voluntary organ donors. We are privileged to work with the Philippine government in increasing public awareness on the nobility of organ donation,” said Eric van Oppens, president and CEO of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

“For a person with end-stage organ failure, the only chance for survival is an organ transplant. Unfortunately, the waiting list for organ recipients is long because transplantable organs and willing organ donors are scarce. Approximately one person with kidney failure will die each week while waiting for an organ transplant,” according to Dr. Enrique Ona, executive director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI).

Growing demand for kidney donors

While dialysis is the first-line treatment for kidney failure, it cannot totally replace the function of the kidneys, Ona said.

“Only another kidney can perform the role of this vital organ. Moreover, a kidney transplant is better than lifelong dialysis in terms of quality of life, survival and cost,” he said.

Ona revealed that every year about 10,000 Filipinos develop kidney failure mainly from diabetes and high blood pressure. However, he continued, only about 7,000 Filipino patients annually are able to start lifelong dialysis, a number that increases by 10 percent each year.

“Half of these patients die after a year because either they can no longer afford dialysis or they cannot find a suitable kidney donor. Due to the acute lack of kidney donors, only 500 Filipino patients receive a kidney transplant every year,” he said.

Dr. Antonio Paraiso, NKTI consultant nephrologist, urged all concerned stakeholders to help remove the stigma of organ donation through a sustained advocacy.

“The only way we can save the lives of the thousands of Filipino patients with kidney failure is to increase the country’s organ pool for transplantation,” he said.

According to Ona, the number of brain dead or deceased donors and living donors — the preferred sources of transplantable organs — in the country remains woefully low.

In 1991, a television documentary exposed an alleged “kidneys-for-sale racket” ran by brokers of kidney transplants. The documentary sparked a national controversy that led to a Senate investigation. 

Protecting organ donors

To prevent the commercialization of organ donors, the DOH and NKTI are implementing the Philippine Organ Donation Program (PODP).

The PODP ensures, among others, the prioritization of Filipino patients in the organ recipient waiting list; the safety of both organ donor and recipient; that payment as precondition for kidney donation and sale/purchase of kidneys from organ vendors are strictly prohibited; and that kidney transplantation is not part of medical tourism. 

“Organ donation should be based on free and informed consent. Let us work together to remove the conditions that promote abuse and exploitation, such as poverty, ignorance and greed,” said Dr. Angeles Tan-Alora, a member of the Southeast Asian Center for Bioethics.

“Novartis endorses the Declaration of Istanbul, which prohibits transplant commercialism, organ trafficking and transplant tourism,” said van Oppens. “We are committed to working with the DOH, NKTI and other local stakeholders in ensuring that the principles of the Declaration of Istanbul are adopted at all times.”

Novartis, in collaboration with transplantation organizations around the world, created the Transplantation Tree of Life initiative.

This two-pronged program promotes awareness on voluntary organ donation, the lack of available organs, the unmet medical needs in transplantation as well as Novartis’ commitment and focus on improving long-term outcomes in transplantation.

To date, the Transplantation Tree of Life program has been launched in South Korea, Russia, France, Germany, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Greece, Spain and Thailand.

Ona appealed to the general public to help save the lives of thousands of Filipinos with end-stage organ disease of the kidney or liver. He stressed that advances in medical technology and knowledge have made modern organ retrieval and transplantation dramatically safer.

“There are few, if any, long-term effects if you donate one of your kidneys. You only need to get blood and urine tests and your blood pressure checked at least once a year,” Ona said. “Kidney donors save lives. Be a hero, be an organ donor.”

For more information on organ donation and transplantation, call the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (924-3601 to 19) and Novartis Philippines (815-9371) or log on to http://www.nkti.gov.ph and http://www.novartis.com.ph.