Telangana logs highest cadaver organ donation rate in India

Telangana has been recognised for its highest cadaver organ donation rate in the country. At a ceremony held in New Delhi on Saturday, August 2, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda presented the award to representatives of Telangana’s Jeevandan programme during the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day celebrations.

The event was organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), functioning under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. States across India were recognised under various categories for their contributions to organ donation and transplantation.

In 2024, Telangana recorded an organ donation rate of 4.88 donors per million population (pmp), surpassing the national average of 0.8 pmp, according to a senior official. In comparison, the United States reports a donation rate of 30 pmp, while Spain leads globally with 48 pmp.

In 2024, the Jeevandan programme facilitated organ donation from 188 brain-dead individuals. From these donors, a total of 725 organs and tissues were harvested and successfully transplanted in recipients across the State and beyond. The year’s tally includes 297 kidneys, 175 livers, 26 hearts, 152 corneas, and 75 lungs.

Jeevandan, launched in 2013 by the Government of Telangana is administered by the Cadaver Transplantation Advisory Committee (CTAC), chaired by the Special Chief Secretary of Health, Medical and Family Welfare, and the Appropriate Authority for Cadaver Transplantation (AACT), headed by the Director of Medical Education. The Director of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) serves as Co-Chairman.

Since its inception, the programme has facilitated organ and tissue donation from 1,673 deceased donors, resulting in the transplantation of 6,309 organs and tissues.