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There is a chronic shortage of most organs needed for transplant in Canada. More than 3,500 Canadians are currently awaiting organ transplants.
In Canada, up to 30 per cent of people in need of a solid organ transplant die on the waiting list.
Only one per cent of all deaths in Canada, in any year, are suitable for possible organ donation.
Demand for transplants is increasing while the number of organ donors remains unchanged.
The spread of Hepatitis-C will increase the need for liver transplants five-fold by 2008. Up to 30 per cent of Hepatitis-C cases damage the liver seriously enough to prove fatal.
Survival rates of transplant patients continue to improve and a majority of recipients live healthy and productive lives.
Transplants are cost-effective. For those with kidney disease, the average cost of dialysis treatment is $50,000 a year. By comparison, the one-time cost of a kidney transplant in BC is approximately $20,000, with an additional yearly cost of about $6,000 for anti-rejection medications.
For more information on organ and tissue donation and how you can donate, visit www.healthcanada.ca/organandtissue on the Internet.
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