One of the biggest problems in South Africa lies in the process of identifying and referring potential organ donors.
South Africa already has a shortage of organ donors, and the lack of education around the situation is only making matters more difficult.
It is also important to note that in South Africa, the donor’s family has the final say in whether or not organs are permitted to be donated.
The goal of Transplant Education for Living Legacies (TELL) is to help educate both potential donors as well as medical healthcare professionals and break the stigmas and misinformation around organ and tissue donation.
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The organisation also aims to encourage anyone who wants to donate their organs to “TELL their tribe” of their wishes to be an organ and tissue donor.
TELL wants to end the waiting list by changing and leading the conversation around organ and tissue donation in South Africa.
August is National Organ Donation Awareness month, and TELL encourages South Africans to make the decision to become an organ donor.
This year Women’s Month and National Organ Donation Awareness month will be linked to make the conversation more relevant than ever.
Two of the three TELL founders speak from first-hand experience, having received life-saving lung transplants.
These transplants not only gave them a second chance at life, but it placed them in the unique position to make a difference in the transplant community.
Facts
- Women are more likely to discuss donation, as men reported feeling less informed about organ donation.
- Access to treatment for chronic conditions such as renal failure are not equal amongst men and women; women are disadvantaged by discrimination rooted in socio-cultural factors.
- Women are more likely to donate kidneys for transplantation than to receive them.
