Organ donation and human tissues: Transplantation in Spain and Brazil

Abstract

This essay, based on data referring to Brazil and Spain, addresses aspects relevant to the scenario of organ donation and transplantation, such as the relationship between supply and demand, current legislation, costs, and possible improvements to increase donation rates and performance in the transplantation process as a whole. The objective is to present current empirical data that increase the relevant empirical knowledge for the bioethical evaluation in an organized way. The two countries stand out when it comes to transplants, Brazil, because it has the largest public system of organ transplants in the world; Spain, for decades the highest rate of effective donor per million inhabitants. Our initial data analyses suggest the need to deal more explicitly with the interests of those affected and with the public opinion, within a systemic articulation between legislation, evidence-based public policies, and research.