Organ transplantation is a
life-saving procedure that revolutionized modern medicine. In Jordan, organ
transplants have been regulated by law since 1975, with the first heart
transplant performed in 1985.
اضافة اعلان
Yet despite the willingness
of many
Jordanians to donate organs, the Kingdom has one of the lowest organ
donation rates in the world, with only 0.3 donors per million in 2020,
according to statistics from the World Health Organization.
Despite this, studies have
shown that
Jordanians are statistically more willing to donate organs. Participants
in studies done in 2018, 2020, and 2022 have demonstrated that Jordanians were
willing to donate their organs after death.
For instance, a study
conducted in 2018 in Northern Jordan assessed public attitudes toward corneal
donation, finding that 62.9 percent of the study participants were willing to
donate their corneas after death. Similarly, another study published in 2022 in
the Experimental and Clinical Transplantation Journal surveyed the awareness of
organ donation in Jordan and found that only 54 percent of the respondents were
aware of organ donation, and 66 percent of those familiar were willing to
donate.
Despite the encouraging findings,
there remains to be a discrepancy between awareness and actual willingness to
donate organs, which can be seen in the gap between registered organ donors
versus people who support it.
TimelineIn 2015,
Jordan introduced essential organ donation regulations that expanded the criteria for brain death
certification and legal protections for donors and their families, creating a
supportive legal and regulatory environment for organ donation and
transplantation.
In 2017, post-mortem organ
donation surged in Jordan due to legislative changes, increased public
awareness campaigns, and establishment of a centralized organizational
framework under the Ministry of Health's umbrella to oversee organ donation and
transplantation.
Several NGOs, including the
Jordan Society for Organ Donation and Transplantation and the Gift of Life
Jordan, launched awareness campaigns to dispel myths and misconceptions about
organ donation and transplantation and encouraged individuals to register as
donors.
The government also launched
initiatives to increase organ donation awareness, including media campaigns and
educational programs in schools and universities.
However, in 2018 the surge in
organ donors halted, and it is unclear why. Fluctuations in donor numbers, a
lack of sustained awareness campaigns, the government shifts in healthcare
priorities, or insufficient infrastructure to support sustained levels of organ
donation and transplantation may have played a role.
Reasons for
decreasing organ donorsMany researchers commonly
attribute the low organ donation rates in Muslim-majority countries, like
Jordan, to Islamic teachings. However, studies examining the public's attitudes
towards organ donations in Jordan show that this perception is not necessarily
reflected in reality.
In fact, Muslim institutions
have played a significant role in promoting organ donation by issuing fatwas
that permit organ transplantation from brain-dead donors in certain
circumstances.
The Iftaa Department in
Jordan and Al-Azhar in Egypt have issued fatwas that support organ donation,
helping to address religious concerns around the practice and increasing
awareness and acceptance of organ donation among Muslims in many countries.
A study published in PubMed
by W. Qarem in 2022 revealed a significant challenge in Jordan: one-third of
the 404 participants reported a surprising level of distrust in local health
services.
This lack of trust has
contributed to low organ donation rates in Jordan, with concerns about the
safety and efficacy of organ transplantation and worries about disfigurement to
the donor's body after organ recovery being among the main reasons for
hesitation. Interestingly, very few participants had negative attitudes towards
organ donation due to religious reasons, indicating that the lack of trust is a
more significant obstacle to the sector than religious views in Jordan.
Despite the legal framework,
the number of registered donors remains low, highlighting the need for
increased awareness and participation. To address these challenges, an
interactive, transparent, and real-time tracking system for organ donation
could be implemented.
This would provide the public
with clear information about the donation process and give them confidence in
the safety and efficacy of organ transplantation. By promoting transparency and
accountability, this tracking system could help increase participation in organ
donation and ultimately save more lives.
Challenges Organ donation in Jordan
faces a significant challenge due to the low number of donations from deceased
donors. While donation after cardiac death (DCD) is a common practice in many
countries, it is still absent in Jordan due to a lack of technical, logistical,
and financial resources and clear protocols, procedures, and legislation. As a
result, most organs are donated by living donors, which can put donors at risk
and limit the number of organs available for transplant.
To increase the number of
deceased donors in Jordan, it is crucial to address these issues and develop a
comprehensive framework that supports and encourages organ donation. This
includes investing in the necessary resources, developing clear protocols and
procedures, and implementing legislation that supports organ donation and
transplantation.
DCD is a time-sensitive
procedure requiring careful coordination and attention to speed, precision, and
effectiveness. During DCD, organ donation occurs after the heart has stopped
beating but before the organs have suffered irreversible damage. This means
that the process of organ recovery must be initiated quickly and efficiently to
maximize the chances of successful transplantation.
To implement a successful DCD
program in Jordan, clear protocols must be developed, healthcare providers must
be trained, and a well-coordinated system must be established to respond
quickly and effectively to potential donors. The success of DCD programs
worldwide is largely due to the development of coordinated and efficient
methods that prioritize the needs of donors, recipients, and healthcare
providers.
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