Health1 min read

Vietnam scraps child organ donors proposal after backlash

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The revised draft updates a 2006 law by strictly reserving posthumous organ donation for individuals aged 18 and older. While the original proposal mandated parental consent for minors aged 15 to 17, critics and lawmakers argued that the measure failed to adequately protect vulnerable youth from external pressure. However, the updated text will still permit living minors to donate regenerative tissues like bone marrow to relatives under strict conditions.

Key points

  • National Assembly officials dropped the under-18 deceased donation provision after lawmak…: National Assembly officials dropped the under-18 deceased donation provision after lawmakers insisted only legal adults participate.
  • Minors donating regenerative tissue will need comprehensive counseling, medical evaluatio…: Minors donating regenerative tissue will need comprehensive counseling, medical evaluations, and dual consent from themselves and guardians.
  • Vietnam currently leads Southeast Asia in yearly transplants but continues to rely predom…: Vietnam currently leads Southeast Asia in yearly transplants but continues to rely predominantly on living rather than deceased donors.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

HANOI: Vietnam withdrew on Monday (Nov 2) a proposal allowing children aged 15 to 17 to donate their organs after death following public criticism in a country where deceased donor transplants remain limited.

The Southeast Asian country began kidney transplants in 1992 and performs the most annual transplants in the region, according to state media.

However, the vast majority of transplants in Vietnam rely on living donors. Transplants in many other nations mostly use organs from deceased donors, expanding their donor pool.

Officials in Vietnam say they are seeking to update a 2006 law on organ and tissue donation, aiming to increase life-saving transplants while safeguarding donors.

A draft submitted to the National Assembly last month proposed allowing 15- to 17-year-olds to donate their tissues, organs or bodies after death, provided the child's parent or legal representative consented.

But, after online backlash, officials removed the under-18 donor provision from a revised draft dated Sunday, with the government saying it had accepted recommendations from lawmakers that only legal adults should be permitted to donate their organs.

Dissent is heavily restricted in…

Health