Spain leads the world with transplants

FOR the 24^th year running Spain has undertaken more organ transplants than any other country, carrying out six per cent of the total worldwide number, according to the World Transplants Registry for 2014.

This is part of a generally positive trend as, over the last five years, transplants have increased worldwide by 13.5 per cent based on statistics received from no fewer than 112 countries.

The donor rate in Spain is also most impressive and at 36 per one million, tops the EU average of 19.6 and even exceeds the US number of 26.6.

The most common form of transplant in Spain is of a kidney, followed by liver and heart, and of the 2,678 kidney transplants, as many as 423 came from live donors.

Director of the National Transplant Organisation, Rafael Metesanz, said: “The transplant system is in excellent health with a perfect communion with the population, who trust and allow us to continue growing and saving more lives.”

Despite this continued and impressive growth, it is estimated that the total number of transplants worldwide in 2014, which stood at 118,117, was only about 12 per cent of the world’s requirement.