New Zealand's low rates of organ donation challenged

An expert on organ and tissue donation says that cultural sensitivity is sometimes believed to be behind New Zealand's startlingly low rates of deceased organ donation, but the issues are more complex.

Dr Rhonda Shaw from Victoria University's School of Social and Cultural Studies will lead a seminar on 7 April, addressing the topic. The seminar will discuss a range of issues to do with organ and tissue donation and transplantation in New Zealand.

Dr Shaw says the issues are "profoundly significant" considering we have one of the lowest rates of deceased organ donation in the western world.

"Currently the rate of donation is about nine deceased donors per million population. We are not sure why the numbers are so low, but it might be related to cultural issues - reluctance in respect to cutting up the body and the desire to maintain bodily integrity in death—both for Maori and Pakeha."

The conference, funded by the Royal Society Marsden Fund and the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Committee (SPEaR), will include presentations from social scientists, bioethicists, health professionals, and policy makers. The keynote speaker is Professor Lesley Sharp, an anthropologist, from Barnard College, Columbia University, New York.

One of the most hotly contested issues at the conference will be that of commercialisation and compensation for donors, and will be addressed by several speakers including Otago University's Dr. Ruth Fitzgerald. Under the Human Tissue Act 2008 the commercialisation of any body tissue, including solid organs is illegal.

"Understandably, New Zealanders have an in-built aversion to commercialisation, because they don't want to institute a payment system where people feel coerced or influenced into donating organs because they are impoverished or out of work," says Dr Shaw.

The current move by patient and professional groups to promote live donation from blood related donors to donors who are spouses or friends (i.e., emotionally related) may be a way to address the low donation rate.

"Currently compensation does not even cover time off work, and yet when you consider the benefits of donation to the health system, and to recipients and their families, there is room for more discussion about adequate compensation to meet the costs of live donors."

Dr Shaw says New Zealand’s high rates of kidney disease and diabetes, especially among Maori, mean the topic of organ donation has huge ramifications for New Zealand. Three of the conference's presenters will address issues that pertain to Maori specifically, including Dr. Robert Webb (Auckland University of Technology) on Maori experiences of organ donation and transplantation.

The conference will also cover issues such as global "transplant tourism" (organ trafficking) and the new concept of "tissue toolboxes" which could potentially revolutionise the treatment of accident or injury victims.

Dr Shaw is hoping that the conference will open up a much needed dialogue on issues crucial to New Zealand's health system. She was recently awarded a $15,000 2010 University Research Fund grant to continue work documenting the experiences of New Zealanders who have participated in organ donation and transplantation. The project builds on a Marsden funded Fast-Start grant (2008-2010) designed to engage health professionals and the general public in discussion about the social, cultural, and spiritual significance of the body in organ and tissue exchange.

• What: One Day Seminar - The Future of Organ and Tissue Donation
• When: Wednesday 7 April 2010, 8.30am – 5pm
• Where: Hunter Council Chamber, Kelburn Parade, Wellington

For more information, or to register for the conference, please contact Rhonda Shaw at rhonda.shaw@vuw.ac.nz or on (04) 463 6134