Current State of Acceptance of Brain Stem Death and Organ Donation in India

Abstract

Deceased organ donation (OD) involves a complex interplay of government policy, involvement of hospitals and health-care professionals (HCPs), and public support. When the Transplantation of Human Organs Act was passed in 1994 in India, acceptance of brain stem death and understanding about the deceased donation process was poor, both among the public and HCPs. While government support along with training of HCPs, public–private–nongovernmental organization partnerships, and public advocacy has enabled the deceased OD rate to move up from 0.16 per million population (pmp) in 2012 to 0.65 pmp in 2017, there is still much that needs to be done. A review of the literature undertaken to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the public and HCPs toward brain stem death and OD in India revealed the need for interventions at multiple levels.

Keywords

• public attitude; brain death; brain stem death; deceased donation; organ donation; public knowledge