In the , being an organ donor is atypical, and for a country fraught with false notions and superstitions, launching organ donor awareness is easier said than done. Perhaps another contributing factor to Filipino¶s apathy on organ donation is their lack of knowledge on the subject and also that information about it is hard to find.

One of the main reasons research show is that Filipino¶s don¶t know exactly about what they need to do in order to become one. Perhaps the word µregistration¶ to an average Filipino is equivalent to long queue¶s, pages and pages of forms to fill out answering questions they don¶t understand, in short, a waste of time.

What they don͛t know is that the most important way of ͚registering͛ to become an organ donor is to talk about it with ones friends and family. In that small way, an individual would already have registered his or her wishes to people whom he knows will carry out what he wants if and when the individual will pass away. It is most advisable as well that a person who has decided to donate his organs when he dies, is to discuss this decision with the person who will have the final say. For example if you were single and you have decided to donate your organs when the time comes, you would communicate your decision to your parents. Or, if you were a husband who has come to such a decision as well, you would tell your wife

Yes, there are forms to fill out and an organ donor card that can be issued to a person once a decision like this has been made but as was stated earlier, a persons¶ talking this kind of choice over with family and friends already ensures that his or her wishes be carried. The forms are merely for formality and also for certain situations where in other people need to know as well. A common example of this is when an individual meets an accident and dies as a result and there is no one available to let the medical people know of the said individuals wishes and by the time the family is able to communicate with the medical people, it is already to late for the organs to be harvested.

In principle, contrary to most peoples¶ common notion those only organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and eyes are what they can donate and can be transplanted. This notion is actually not entirely true as facts said that currently, transplanted human tissues include bone, corneas, skin, heart valves, veins, cartilage and other connective tissues. Tissues such as these can be used to treat patients suffering from congenital defects, blindness, visual impairment, trauma, burns, dental defects, arthritis, cancer, vascular and heart disease. In addition, many heart valves are used to treat children with congenital defects of their own heart valves.

Novartis supports government organ donation advocacy (The Philippine Star) Updated December 17, 2009 12:00 AM Comments (0)

The National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) has partnered with Novartis Healthcare Philippines in a public awareness campaign on the safety and nobility of organ donation to save lives. Photo shows (from left): Dr. Francis Domingo, chief scientific officer, Novartis Healthcare Philippines; NKTI executive director Dr. Enrique Ona; Dr. Angeles Tan-Alora, member, Southeast Asian Center for Bioethics; NKTI consultant and nephrologist Dr. Antonio Paraiso; and Liza Montellano, business franchise manager, Novartis Healthcare Philippines, holding a symbolic lifesaver bearing the campaign¶s key message, µSave a life. Be a hero. Be an organ donor.¶

MANILA, Philippines - Novartis is supporting the government¶s advocacy on organ donation to address two important public health issues: the growing number of Filipinos with end-stage organ failure and the acute lack of organ donors in the country.

Two nationwide surveys conducted in 2001 and 2005 showed that public awareness on organ donation and transplantation is relatively low.

³Novartis unequivocally supports and sponsors ethical, legal and non-commercial efforts to promote organ donation and recruit voluntary organ donors. We are privileged to work with the Philippine government in increasing public awareness on the nobility of organ donation,´ said Eric van Oppens, president and CEO of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

³For a person with end-stage organ failure, the only chance for survival is an organ transplant. Unfortunately, the waiting list for organ recipients is long because transplantable organs and willing organ donors are scarce. Approximately one person with kidney failure will die each week while waiting for an organ transplant,´ according to Dr. Enrique Ona, executive director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI).

Growing demand for kidney donors

While dialysis is the first-line treatment for kidney failure, it cannot totally replace the function of the kidneys, Ona said. ³Only another kidney can perform the role of this vital organ. Moreover, a kidney transplant is better than lifelong dialysis in terms of quality of life, survival and cost,´ he said.

Ona revealed that every year about 10,000 Filipinos develop kidney failure mainly from diabetes and high blood pressure. However, he continued, only about 7,000 Filipino patients annually are able to start lifelong dialysis, a number that increases by 10 percent each year.

³Half of these patients die after a year because either they can no longer afford dialysis or they cannot find a suitable kidney donor. Due to the acute lack of kidney donors, only 500 Filipino patients receive a kidney transplant every year,´ he said.

Dr. Antonio Paraiso, NKTI consultant nephrologist, urged all concerned stakeholders to help remove the stigma of organ donation through a sustained advocacy.

³The only way we can save the lives of the thousands of Filipino patients with kidney failure is to increase the country¶s organ pool for transplantation,´ he said.

According to Ona, the number of brain dead or deceased donors and living donors ² the preferred sources of transplantable organs ² in the country remains woefully low.

In 1991, a television documentary exposed an alleged ³kidneys-for-sale racket´ ran by brokers of kidney transplants. The documentary sparked a national controversy that led to a Senate investigation.

Protecting organ donors

To prevent the commercialization of organ donors, the DOH and NKTI are implementing the Philippine Organ Donation Program (PODP).

The PODP ensures, among others, the prioritization of Filipino patients in the organ recipient waiting list; the safety of both organ donor and recipient; that payment as precondition for kidney donation and sale/purchase of kidneys from organ vendors are strictly prohibited; and that kidney transplantation is not part of medical tourism.

³Organ donation should be based on free and informed consent. Let us work together to remove the conditions that promote abuse and exploitation, such as poverty, ignorance and greed,´ said Dr. Angeles Tan-Alora, a member of the Southeast Asian Center for Bioethics.

³Novartis endorses the Declaration of Istanbul, which prohibits transplant commercialism, organ trafficking and transplant tourism,´ said van Oppens. ³We are committed to working with the DOH, NKTI and other local stakeholders in ensuring that the principles of the Declaration of Istanbul are adopted at all times.´

Novartis, in collaboration with transplantation organizations around the world, created the Transplantation Tree of Life initiative. This two-pronged program promotes awareness on voluntary organ donation, the lack of available organs, the unmet medical needs in transplantation as well as Novartis¶ commitment and focus on improving long-term outcomes in transplantation.

To date, the Transplantation Tree of Life program has been launched in South Korea, Russia, France, Germany, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Greece, Spain and Thailand.

Ona appealed to the general public to help save the lives of thousands of Filipinos with end-stage organ disease of the kidney or liver. He stressed that advances in medical technology and knowledge have made modern organ retrieval and transplantation dramatically safer.

³There are few, if any, long-term effects if you donate one of your kidneys. You only need to get blood and urine tests and your blood pressure checked at least once a year,´ Ona said. ³Kidney donors save lives. Be a hero, be an organ donor.´

Why are all these stars asking you to carry this card? By Girlie E. Rodis (The Philippine Star) Updated July 06, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)

Showbiz¶s royal couple and Rep. -Gomez with daughter Juliana say yes to organ donation. Photo by Philip Sison

MANILA, Philippines - How pessimistic to already be thinking of death when all these celebrities are at the prime of their health! And why are so many of them telling you to carry an Organ Donor Card?

³No!´ they all emphatically declare. There¶s nothing morbid about carrying an Organ Donor Card. It should be seen as a practical, if not a noble, idea. Death is an inevitable reality, and for all these stars, when the light of life dims, they¶ll be leaving behind the gift of life.

Dawn Zulueta-Lagdameo, one of the most outspoken advocates of this cause, shares, ³When I first told my husband I was thinking of donating my organs when my time on earth is up, it mortified him. We were watching an episode of Oprah and organ donation was the topic. He didn¶t want to discuss it. But I was firm on my stand. I told him that the reason I take care of my health is so that I can live a good, long life for our children. But death is a reality, and I hope that he would respect my wishes.´

Joanne Zapanta-Andrada, another committed advocate and governor of the Philippine National Red Cross, narrates, ³Even before I got wind of this card, it was already in my plan. In fact, I made a video will stating my wishes, including the donation of my organs upon death.´

She continues, ³It¶s a no-brainer. In fact, if they are able to invent brain transplant, they can take that, too.´ She wittily joked to then National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) director and now Health Secretary Enrique Ona, who spearheaded this advocacy, ³But Doc, just make sure I¶m really dead, before you take anything, ha?´

The soft-spoken Dr. Ona laughed, along with doctors from NKTI, including Human Organ Preservation Effort (HOPE) head Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca, Jr., Department of Organ Transplantation chairman Dr. Benito Purugganan Jr., and Department of Adult Nephrology chairperson Dr. Romina Danguilan.

The sense of humor lightened the rather heavy discussion, but it didn¶t sidetrack Secretary Ona from expounding on the grave issues at hand, including the alarming number of renal failure cases in the country, over 10,000 to 12,000 of whom are hoping for kidney transplantation. And that¶s just for the kidneys.

Just A Tick On The Box

In developed countries, it¶s as easy as ticking off the organ donor box at the back of the driver¶s license. In the Philippines, we have that, too. However, an integrated system has yet to be developed to have that enforced efficiently.

Meanwhile, the Organ Donor Card is a great substitute. This advocacy, spearheaded by Secretary Ona, under RA 7170, legalizes organ donation in the case of brain-dead patients for cardholders. In the back of the card, the willing donor can even identify which organs he/she is willing to donate: kidneys, eyes, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, and others. And for the card to be legitimate, two witnesses have to sign before the bearer can tuck it into his wallet. It¶s as simple as that. And should the sad ending happen, the card signifies the bearer¶s willingness to let someone else live. All it takes is a tick on a box.

It is not easy to accept loss for a grieving family once they find out their loved one is brain-dead (meaning no chance for survival at all). What¶s even more difficult is making the decision to donate healthy organs at that very moment when they¶re barely even coming to terms with the tragic reality. It sounds great theoretically that the family can be so selfless, but when faced with that situation, it¶s the hardest ever choice to make. So, for a cardholder, he just spared the family from that dilemma because he had already made the decision.

So, it was not difficult when my friend Ginggay Joven-dela Merced invited me to support this cause, and actively participate in spreading the word, starting off with a meeting attended by Kidney Foundation president Renato Ermita, vice president Rep. Mike Romero, and the various officers of the foundation.

It was Dr. Ona who introduced Ginggay to this cause, as the astute doctor had become more than just a doctor to the Jovens. He was the one true friend of the family during the years they were battling Roland Joven¶s illness together.

Ginggay¶s father, a successful kidney transplant survivor of almost 15 months, passed away last March due to pneumonia. And although she had been an advocate of this cause even before her father¶s demise, she championed this advocacy and dedicated time, resources, and effort to make it grow exponentially.

In her Facebook wall, she wrote, ³Dr. Ona is a brilliant doctor, a great administrator at NKTI, a purposeful and compassionate public servant, and an inspirational visionary, who brought out the philanthropist in me that I never thought existed.´

But far beyond her support for Dr. Ona, Ginggay says, ³It was my personal pact with God. I prayed for Him to give my dad a kidney. And He gave it « on my dad¶s birthday. So He did His part, and now, I¶m doing mine.´

Superstars Join Organ Cause

Just by its very nature, the cause has won the wholehearted support of many superstars, like Richard and Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez; Aga and Charlene Muhlach; -Lagdameo; Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski; broadcast journalist Karen Davila; models-turned-philanthropists Joanne Zapanta-Andrada and Tweetie De Leon-Gonzales; CamSur Governor LRay Villafuerte; fitness fanatics Marc Nelson, Rovilson Fernandez; Tessa Prieto Valdes; Dyan Castillejo, and countless triathletes and marathon runners like Rio dela Cruz, Ani de Leon, and Ige Ramos.

Athletes-turned-showbiz personalities signed in as well, like , Gaby dela Merced who also influenced co-star ; and other fitness buff stars like Aubrey Miles and Amazing Race partner Jacq Yu, Carmi Martin, Eula Valdez, Priscilla Meirelles, and . Young as they are, these celebrities were in full support: Carla Abellana, Iya Villania, , Denise Laurel, , , Kris Lawrence, and majority of Arnold Vegafria¶s pool of talents, including and whom I was able to personally give an Organ Donation Card to.

Friends in business like Globe Asiatique¶s Divine Lee have caught on, along with celebrity friends Victor Basa, , , Phem Baranda, Wilma Doesnt, TV chef host Rosebud Benitez, Liz Almoro, Ginger Cornejero, and Cristalle Henares; and countless supermodels and personalities like Rissa Mananquil and beau Paolo Trillo, Ornussa Cadness, Sanya Smith, Robby Mananquil, Valerie delos Santos, Juddah Paolo, Brent Javier and Karen Pamintuan, Diether Ocampo and Rima Ostwani. The list goes on and on. Of course, a lot more from the fashion world support the cause, as well as those from the arts and business sectors.

The advocate list has gotten longer and longer, including Rachel Alejandro, Martin Nievera, , , Rowell Santiago, Christian Bautista, Jed Medela, , Jett Pangan « and before we knew it, without any major campaign, the word was out. More and more wanted to carry the card; and have a stake in this effort.

Truly, celebrities have the biggest hearts for worthy causes!

From the time we started work on the Organ Donor Card awareness drive, we¶ve dispensed over half a million cards nationwide. We dream of the day that when one card is given, one life is saved. Voluntary organ donation for Filipino patients

Sunday, February 6, 2011 | 8:13 am | Share

The government recently renewed its call for free and voluntary organ donors in the country to address the growing number of Filipinos with end-stage organ failure.

³For a person with end-stage organ failure, the only chance for survival is an organ transplant,´ said Dr. Enrique T. Ona, National Kidney and Transplant Institute (nkti) executive director. ³Unfortunately, the waiting list for organ recipients is long because transplantable organs and willing organ donors are scarce. Approximately one person with kidney failure will die each week while waiting for an organ transplant.´

Every year about 10,000 Filipinos develop kidney failure mainly from diabetes and high blood pressure. Of these, only about 7,000 are able to start life-long dialysis, their legion increasing by only about 10 percent each year. Half of these patients die after a year as money to pay for dialysis runs out or no suitable kidney donor can be found. Due to the acute lack of donors, only 500 Filipino patients receive a kidney transplant annually. While dialysis is the first-line treatment for kidney failure, Ona noted that only another fully healthy kidney can replace the function of the body¶s failed organ. He added that a kidney transplant is also superior to dialysis in terms of the patient¶s quality of life, prospect for survival and cost. And between brain-dead or deceased donors and living donors, the latter is the preferred source of transplantable organs.

Nkti and the Department of Health have been implementing the Philippine Organ Donation Program (podp) to prevent the commercialization of organ donors. Podp is there to ensure that Filipino patients are prioritized in the organ-recipient waiting list, the safety of both donor and recipient are guaranteed, payment for kidney donation and selling of kidneys through organ vendors are prohibited, and kidney transplantation is not offered as a form of medical tourism.

Nkti recently received an avowal of support for its organ-donation advocacy from Novartis Healthcare Philippines. ³Novartis unequivocally supports and sponsors ethical, legal, and noncommercial efforts to promote organ donation and recruit voluntary organ donors,´ said Eric van Oppens, Novartis Healthcare Philippines president and chief executive.

He added that the company is committed to work with nkti, doh, and other local stakeholders to ensure the observance of the principles of the Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism. The declaration, drafted in 2008 during an international summit in Istanbul, Turkey, urges government action on important fronts pertaining to the issue of organ donation² from prevention and treatment of organ failure to the prohibition of organ trafficking and transplant tourism.

Novartis works with transplantation organizations for the Transplantation Tree of Life initiative worldwide to create awareness on voluntary organ donation and the lack of available organs. M Grace Roxas

Organ donation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Organ donation is the removal of the tissues of the human body from a person who has recently died, or from a living donor, for the purpose of transplanting. Organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure. People of all ages may be organ and tissue donors. At the time of death the organ, tissue, or eye recovery agency will make a determination, based on the person's medical and social history, of which organs/tissues are suitable for transplantation.

Organ donation typically takes place after brain death, the irreversible loss of all brain functions, including the brain stem. Tissue donation can take place after brain death or cardiac death (the irreversible loss of cardiovascular function). The laws of different countries allow potential donors to permit or refuse donation, or give this choice to relatives. The popularity of donations varies substantially among countries.