Organ donation and transplantation in Canada / : Dons et transplantations d'organes au Canada

This paper will provide an overview of the Canadian experience with respect to the federal role in organ donation and transplantation, discuss some of the statistics involved and discuss the options for increasing the donor rate, such as through registries, presumed consent and expanding donor criteria. [...] A component of the proposed strategy was the establishment of the Canadian Council for Donation and Transplantation (CCDT), which was announced by the Government of Canada in April 2001. [...] The CCDT was established in October of that year as an advisory body to the Conference of Deputy Ministers of Health in support of its efforts to coordinate federal, provincial and territorial activities relating to organ donation and transplantation. [...] In October 2007, the deputy ministers of health for the provinces (except Quebec) and territories agreed that the CCDT’s functions be transferred to Canadian Blood Services and that Canadian Blood Services assume responsibility for Canada’s organ and tissue donation and transplantation system. [...] The logistical issues and identification of compatible recipients could be improved with an information management system such as the real-time national waiting list operated by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in the United States.18 The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), which was created under the National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 to link all professionals invo