Context:
-
Organ donation is a critical component of public health and social responsibility, yet India faces a paradox of high willingness but low deceased organ donation rates.
-
Recent data from 2024 driving license applications highlights a significant gender dimension: women show greater willingness to donate organs after death, but men continue to dominate recipient lists.
Key Highlights:
Social Trend / Public Willingness
-
Indian women display higher willingness for posthumous organ donation compared to men.
-
Across 21 major states, women’s willingness ranged from 17% to 27%, while men’s ranged from 12% to 20%.
Donation Landscape in India
-
India has:
-
High living organ donation rate: 10.8 per million
-
Very low deceased organ donation rate: 0.8 per million (globally lagging)
-
Gender Disparity in Donors vs Recipients
-
In 2023:
-
Over 60% of organ donors were women
-
Nearly 65% of organ recipients were men
-
Health Need and Disease Burden
-
Men accounted for 70% of liver transplant recipients in 2023.
-
This may be linked to higher alcohol-related liver disease among men.
Systemic Disconnect
-
Despite public intent and transplant infrastructure, India struggles to convert willingness into actual deceased donations, indicating gaps in:
-
Awareness implementation
-
Hospital coordination
-
Consent and family decision-making
-
Significance / Concerns
-
Reflects broader gender patterns in Indian society:
-
Women contribute more as caregivers/donors
-
Men benefit more as recipients due to medical and social prioritisation
-
Relevant Prelims Points:
Issue + Causes + Government Context
-
Issue: Low deceased organ donation despite high willingness.
-
Causes:
-
Limited awareness at time of death
-
Family refusal and social stigma
-
Weak hospital-based organ retrieval systems
-
Gendered healthcare access and disease patterns
-
Benefits + Challenges + Impact
-
Benefits: Saves lives, strengthens healthcare outcomes.
-
Challenges: Consent barriers, poor deceased donation conversion, inequitable access.
-
Impact: Continued organ shortage and gender imbalance in transplant outcomes.
Relevant Mains Points:
Social Justice and Gender Dimensions
-
Women’s higher willingness reflects altruism but also societal expectations of sacrifice.
-
Recipient dominance by men may reflect:
-
Higher disease burden (liver disease)
-
Preferential access to costly healthcare
-
Governance and Public Health Gaps
-
Systemic disconnect suggests need for stronger:
-
Organ donation counselling units
-
Brain-death identification protocols
-
Transparent allocation systems
-
Ethical and Equity Concerns
-
Gender imbalance raises questions of:
-
Fair access to transplants
-
Social determinants of health
-
Healthcare affordability and patriarchy
-
Way Forward
-
Promote deceased donation through:
-
Mandatory hospital transplant coordinators
-
Public awareness campaigns beyond pledges
-
Family consent support mechanisms
-
-
Ensure gender-sensitive healthcare access and prevention of lifestyle diseases.
-
Strengthen NOTTO frameworks and transparent recipient prioritisation.
UPSC Relevance (GS-wise):
-
GS 1 (Indian Society): Gender roles, altruism, social patterns in healthcare
-
GS 2 (Social Justice): Health equity, access to transplants, ethical governance
-
Prelims: Key data, organ donation concepts, transplant framework