The China Organ Donation and Transplantation Conference 2017 was held in Kunming, Yunnan Province on August 5, 2017. Huang Jiefu, Chairman of the China Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee and Chairman of the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation, stressed in his keynote speech that China, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, has continuously improved the legal framework, innovative systems and mechanisms to create the “Chinese model”of organ donation and transplantation. China has secured its presence in the world’s organ transplantation arena in an unarguably ethical manner. China is expected to become the world’s largest organ transplantation country in 2020, so there will be more patients benefiting from organ transplantations.
The conference reviewed the development history of China’s organ transplantation cause, showcased the fruitful results of China’s organ transplantation work, and painted the blueprint of China’s organ transplantation cause. This conference, with the theme of “Chinese model,” has three highlights.
Highlight 1: High recognition by the world’s leading experts and scholars
With the support of the National Health and Family Planning Commission and Red Cross Society of China, the China Organ Donation and Transplantation Conference, as sponsored by the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation and China Organ Donation Administrative Center, attracted much attention from the leading organizations, experts and scholars in the international organ transplantation arena. Eight leading experts in the international organ transplantation world, including Marcelo Sorondo, President of Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Jose Nunes, Organ Transplantation Officer of the World Health Organization, Francis Delmonico, Member of Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the former Chairman of the International Organ Transplantation Association, and Organ Transplantation Consultant of the World Health Organization, Nancy Escher, Chairman of International Organ Transplantation Association, and Campbell Frase, Member of Istanbul Declaration Supervision Team, attended the conference, visited the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation, listened to the work reports on China’s organ donations and transplantations and delivered speeches.
In an interview by Global Times, Marcelo Sorondo said that “China’s organ transplantation system may have become a ‘model’ for all the countries in the world, and especially Asian countries.”Campbell Frase added that the ‘Chinese model’ introduced by the high-level government leaders is an example and the global organ transplantation world would become better if the government leaders from other countries have the same determination.
Francis Delmonico said that, before his trip to China, the World Health Organization, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, International Organ Transplantation Association, and Istanbul Declaration Supervision Organization all wrote letters to Huang Jiefu, Chairman of the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation, to speak highly of China’s reform in its organ transplantation system. He stressed that “as an increasing number of people donated their organs and condemned prisoners’ organs are no longer used, the doubts and rumors about China’s organ transplantation world have thoroughly disappeared.”
The recognition and trust from the world’s leading organ transplantation organizations, the opinion and position of the world’s leading experts, and the recognition and commendation from the world’s leading scholars all meant that the international organ transplantation world fully recognized and praised the “Chinese model”.
Distinct positions, definite orientation and generous praise! Is all this not enough to make the rumor mongers of “live organ harvesting” and those who support them immeasurably embarrassed?
Highlight 2: global attention attracted to China’s fruitful achievements in organ transplantation
According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission and Red Cross Society of China, China successfully completed its change in the source of organs and all the transplanted organs came from voluntary donations by citizens in 2015. Four organ transplantation quality control centers concerning liver, kidney, heart and lung were established to integrate organ transplantation into the national medical quality control system in 2016, completing 4,080 cases of organ donations and 13,263 cases of organ transplantations. China was ranked second in the world when it came to the number of organ donations and transplantations, reaching the highest level ever. China completed 2,866 cases of organ donations for the first seven months of 2017, up 33% year on year. This figure has exceeded the total number of organ donations for 2015. Now China’s organ transplantation technology and quality have attained the world’s advanced level. Until now, China was ranked first in Asia in terms of the number of organ donations by citizens after their death. China has more than 1,900 organ donation coordinators and 173 organ transplantation hospitals. China has about 300,000 registered organ donation volunteers, and has completed more than 12,000 cases of organ donations, which involve over 34,500 donated organs.
“Organ donations can contribute to the rebirth of those patients suffering from organ failures and a kind of life renewal for the dead. This process not merely conveys love and warmth, but tests the maturity of civilization and rule of law”. Ye Qifa, Member of the China Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee, said.
On August 8, a reporter from thestar.com.my, a Malaysian website, conducted an exclusive interview with the world’s leading experts. In the report “Organ Transplantation Experts Denounce Falun Gong’s Rumor”, quite a number of leading organ donation and transplantation experts in the world denounced Falun Gong’s absurd rumor that this cult’s followers have had their organs harvested by Chinese governments, and reminded people not to be cheated by this rumor so that China’s organ transplantation cause can make rapid progress. They believed that China would grow into an organ donation and transplantation power.
The well-established legal assurance system, the ceaseless efforts to explore and pursue new avanues, and the well-targeted operation and maintenance management criteria all showcased China’s strong confidence and firm determination to promote the “Chinese model” of organ transplantation work.
Fresh facts, detailed data, and fruitful results! Is all this not enough to make the rumor mongers of “live organ harvesting” and those who support them extremely depressed?
Highlight 3: future development trend of organ transplantation
According to Wang Haibo, Director of Organ Distribution and Sharing Computer System, China has developed scientific, impartial and ethical organ donation and transplantation systems that match China’s national situation and culture, including its donation system, procurement and distribution system and clinical service system for transplantation, post-transplantation scientific registration system and transplantation service and monitoring system, and established the green channel and information-based monitoring platform for organ transportation. Now China’s organ transplantation monitoring work has started an era of big data. What’s more, the organ transplant cost in China is far lower than in western countries, and about one-fifth of the cost in the United States. Heart transplantation is a good case in point. It costs about 320,000 Yuan in China, and about 6.8 million Yuan in America.
Huang Jiefu said that China hopes to increase the number of organ donation coordinators from a little over 1,900 to 5000, and the number of hospitals qualified for organ transplantation from 173 to 200, and even to 300 by 2020. In this way, China will replace America as the world’s largest organ transplantation country in 2020. More patients will benefit from organ transplantation.
Jose Nunes said that “organ transplantation is like a ship. China wasn’t on board, but has joined hands with the international organ transplantation world now to steer this ship along a fast track. China’s efforts are guiding the movement of this ship as well.”
“China should pump more efforts into education for organ donors and increase the online registration of organ donors.” Martin Taylor, WHO Representative in China said. China is making some remarkable progress and the WHO will continue to offer all possible support.
The scientific planning and deployment, human-oriented arrangement model and leading data sharing demonstrate China’s single-minded commitment to expanding the “Chinese model” of organ transplantation with great love for global use.
Outstanding guidelines, generous sincerity and solemn commitment! Is all this not enough to make the rumor mongers of “live organ harvesting” and those who support them face total failure.
Falun Gong spreads rumors but had its lies exposed, spreads rumors again but gets lies exposed again, until it gives up. It’s an inevitable result for the rumor monger of “live organ harvesting.”
Falun Gong makes trouble but fails, makes trouble again but fails again, until it perishes. It’s an ultimate end of Falun Gong as a cult.
(Executive editor: Wang Na)
