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Australian organ donor register passes one million mark

The Australian Organ Donor Register will record its one millionth registration after data received from Tasmania this week is uploaded, the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, announced today.

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22 February 2002
KP07/02

Australian organ donor register passes one million mark

The Australian Organ Donor Register will record its one millionth registration after data received from Tasmania this week is uploaded, the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Kay Patterson, announced today.

"This is a wonderful and very significant milestone," Senator Patterson said. "It is gratifying to see Australians recognising the need for organ and tissue donation, however, we still have a long way to go if Australia is to reach the level of organ donation set by other Western countries. We continue to fall well behind their standards."

The Australian Organ Donor Register is Australia's only national organ and tissue donor register and was established in 2000. Of almost 600 enquiries on it thus far, 62 positive matches have been found. In other words, 62 potential donors have been identified, with the ability to save or improve the lives of up to 620 people.

Victoria and South Australian Transport Authorities have already transferred their data to the Australian Organ Donor Register, which means people in those states who have ticked their licence as a potential donor are now on the national register.

"We are expecting data from the Western Australian Transport Authority to come over next month, adding approximately 600,000 or so registrations," Senator Patterson said. "We are still negotiating with the NSW Road Traffic Authority and Queensland Transport to incorporate their information.

"As for the ACT and Northern Territory, they don't have a register. Even though territory drivers might have put a tick sticker on their actual licence, unless they die with that licence on them there is no record of their intention to donate. I urge them, and all other Australians to talk to their families and register with the Australian Organ Donor Register. These latest transport authority numbers, of course, come on top of those wonderful people who have registered directly."

Senator Patterson said the latest transfer of data reflected the importance the State Transport Authorities placed on the national organ and tissue donor register.

"It is particularly symbolic that we have reached the one millionth mark during the Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week," she said.

Media Contact: Marnie Gaffney, Minister's Office, 0402 892 871 or
Marion Frith, Health Insurance Commission, 0417 498 318