China Celebrates Organ Donation Milestone with Increased Registrations and Transplant Success

China's annual national commemoration event for human organ donation took place in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, on Tuesday. Health officials reported a year-on-year increase in organ donation and transplants across the country. Over 7.05 million people have registered as organ donors in China.

The event, held before the Qingming Festival, featured stories of donors, their families, transplant recipients, and donation coordinators. A memorial ceremony honored 26 donors with a moment of silence and floral tributes. Attendees included officials, donor families, and medical students.

According to the event, over 7.05 million people have registered as organ donors. There have been more than 58,000 organ donations, 63,000 body donations, and 110,000 corneal donations. These donations have restored sight to 100,000 people, saved over 170,000 lives, and supported medical education and research.

Gao Guangming, deputy director of the Department of Medical Emergency Response at the National Health Commission, stated that China has seen a significant increase in organ donations and transplants due to long-term efforts. In 2024, China recorded 6,744 organ donations and 24,684 transplant surgeries, representing year-on-year increases of 4.5 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.

The national commemoration, guided by the Red Cross Society of China and the National Health Commission, and organized by the China Organ Donation Administrative Center (CODAC), also serves as a promotional activity for organ donation.

Zhang Dingyu, the publicity ambassador for human organ donation in China, was appointed in March. Despite being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Zhang remained on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to donate his body for ALS research. He emphasized that his overall physical condition remains relatively stable.

Zhang believes that our bodies belong to society and humanity. He currently works as a medical worker and is involved in gene knockout research to explore alternatives to organ donation, such as pig organs.

More than 280 memorial sites for organ donors have been established across the country. Various provinces held organ donor commemorations to express gratitude and respect to donors and their families, and to raise public awareness about the significance of organ donation.