China refuted rumors on organ transplantation practice

Beijing. May 29. Silkroadnews - At the 71st session of the World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Chinese experts denied long-standing rumors about the practice of donating and organ transplantation in China, China Daily reports.
Huang Jiefu, the head of the China National Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee, reported that 17,085 Chinese volunteers have donated organs after death, and more than 48,000 organs had been transplanted in China from January 2010 to April 2018.
In a previously published media report, which was refuted by Huang Jiefu, it was said that “China has a yearly organ transplantation volume of as much as 60,000 to 100,000” and of “organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners”.
International experts concluded that China carried out a wide range of reforms, including a ban on using the organs of executed criminals and transplant tourism, as well as the creation of a national system for the distribution of donor organs.
Wang Haibo, director of the China Organ Transplant Response System Research Center, reminded of a national organ donation and transplantation monitoring system set using big data to ensure transparency and fairness in donor organs distribution and helps law enforcement agencies to combat trafficking in organs.
National surveillance against organ trafficking is conducted through the joint efforts of legal and health authorities, the publication reads.
Huang, a former vice minister of health, confirmed that information and data collected by the Chinese authorities will be shared with the WHO and its member states.
Philip O’Connell, director of the Centre for Transplant and Renal Research at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research in Australia, said, one of the reasons that some people believed the rumors was, first of all, a lack of reliable information.
Francis Delmonico, another leading expert, agreed with his colleague, noting that rumors can only be successfully resisted by transparent and complete data provided by the Chinese authorities.
Jose Ramon Nunez, WHO adviser, said every year, 135,000 organ transplantations are performed in the world, which is only 10% of the real needs.
He also added, China’s experience, especially in the successful implementation of national reforms, is very needed worldwide, the report says.