In Switzerland, 187 people donated organs after their death last year. 637 people received an often life-saving organ, 115 came from a living donation. However, relatives often refuse a donation if the wishes of the person concerned are not known. A statement of wishes helps to implement the personal decision to donate and relieves the burden on relatives.
(red) Last year, 187 deceased persons became organ donors. This is slightly fewer than in 2023, when a peak of 200 donations was reached. A total of 539 organs were transplanted from deceased people and 115 organs from living people. This gave 637 recipients a new perspective: Their quality of life was greatly improved or even their lives saved. The number of people on the waiting list has fallen slightly: at the end of 2024, 1331 people were waiting for at least one organ (2023: 1391). What organ donation can mean is often difficult for healthy people to grasp. The short film “When life gives you a second chance” shows how organ donation can change lives. Samuel survived at the age of 26 thanks to a liver transplant. Today, the 40-year-old leads a full life, restoring furniture in his own business and giving it a second life, so to speak. The film is part of the campaign “Rules instead of postponement: organ donation” and aims to motivate people in Switzerland to express their decision to donate their organs and thus ease the burden on their loved ones.
On May 15, 2022, the Swiss population approved the extended objection regulation for organ and tissue donation. It states that every person is considered a donor after death unless they have expressed an objection during their lifetime. If the person concerned has no known wishes, the next of kin are consulted. They can object to organ removal if they know or suspect that the person would have decided against it. To ensure that every person can record their wishes clearly and bindingly, the federal government will create a new organ and tissue donor register. The electronic identity (e-ID) is to be used for identification in the register. The introduction of the register is therefore dependent on the availability of the e-ID and is expected to take place in the course of 2026. In view of the introduction of the objection regulation, comprehensive information for the population is key. The national population campaign will start at the same time as the register is introduced. Until then, the extended consent solution will continue to apply, whereby organs and tissues can only be removed after death if the person concerned or their relatives have given their consent.
Source: www.bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/das-bag/aktuell/news/news-21-01-2025.html.
InFo NEUROLOGY & PSYCHIATRY 2025; 23(1): 40 (published on 7.2.25, ahead of print)
