Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546170
HEALTH Minister Ian Borg has urged more people to register as organ donors, saying one donor can help save up to eight lives Speaking on World Organ Do- nation Day on Thursday, Borg met transplant recipients, reg- istered organ donors and fami- lies of deceased organ donors to discuss the challenges faced by patients waiting for potentially life-saving transplants. The meeting also highlighted the anxiety and uncertainty ex- perienced by patients who can spend long periods on transplant waiting lists. In 2024, 8,591 peo- ple across Europe died while awaiting an organ transplant, un- derlining the continued need for more donors. Families of organ donors spoke about the support they received from hospital staff after the deaths of their loved ones, as well as the sense of connection they felt after receiving anonymous letters of thanks from transplant recipients whose lives had been changed by the donations. "By registering as organ donors today, we are saving lives in the future – perhaps the greatest leg- acy we can leave behind," Borg said. He paid tribute to registered do- nors, deceased multi-organ do- nors and living donors who give a kidney or part of their liver to patients in need of a transplant. Borg also thanked those in- volved in promoting organ dona- tion, including staff at Mater Dei Hospital's Renal Unit, members of the Transplant Support Group and officials from the Superin- tendence of Public Health. He urged families in Malta and Gozo to discuss organ donation openly and consider registering their wishes. Registration can now be com- pleted online through orgando- nation.gov.mt, with the process taking only a few minutes using an e-ID. During Thursday's meeting, Borg also submitted his own registration as an officially regis- tered organ donor under current legislation. He had previously participated in the former volun- tary organ donor card scheme. Malta's National Human Organ and Tissue Donation Register, established in 2016, currently has 30,548 registered organ donors. More than 2,410 people have joined the register over the past two and a half years following awareness campaigns by health authorities, the Transplant Sup- port Group and other organisa- tions. Managed by the Superintend- ence of Public Health, the regis- ter is the official legal record of an individual's wishes concern- ing organ donation. It is intended to protect personal autonomy, provide clarity to healthcare pro- fessionals and facilitate the safe and ethical donation of organs and tissues for transplantation. The register replaced the for- mer Organ Donation Card scheme, which did not have legal status. Members of the public can also speak directly to the Transplant Support Group on Thursday and Friday, 13 and 14 August, be- tween 9am and 12.30pm at the main reception area of Mater Dei Hospital. The public can use the oppor- tunity to learn more about organ donation and register as donors. 6 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 14 AUGUST 2026 NEWS 30,548 registered organ donors in Malta and Gozo Health Minister Ian Borg attended an event for World Organ Donation Day (Photo: DOI)