Negative News Causes Drop in Organ Donations; Taiwan Strictly Prohibits Organ Trade, Says Ministry
Dr. Liu Yueh-ping, Director-General of the Department of Medical Affairs, stated that negative news in recent years has led to a decline in organ donations. She emphasized that Taiwan strictly prohibits organ trading and explained a data cross-checking mechanism to prevent overseas transplant recipients from obtaining immunosuppressants in Taiwan without a local transplant record.
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- 📰 Published: June 6, 2026 at 17:12
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(CNA reporter Shen Pei-yao, Taipei, June 6) Organ donation can extend lives, but an average of 3.3 people per day pass away while waiting for an organ transplant. Dr. Liu Yueh-ping, Director-General of the Department of Medical Affairs of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), emphasized today that due to negative news in recent years, the number of donations has declined. She stressed that Taiwan strictly prohibits organ trading and called on all sectors to respond.
Ahead of Organ Donation Memorial Day on June 19, the Organ Donation and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center held the "Remember Me 2026 Organ Donation Memorial Concert" today to pay the highest respects to all organ donors and their families, and to invite the public to contemplate life autonomy and the continuation of love.
According to MOHW statistics, approximately 12,000 to 13,000 people wait for organ transplants each year. However, from 2016 to 2025, the total number of deceased and living donors per year was only around 800 to 1,000. An average of 3.3 people per day lose their lives due to the inability to receive an organ transplant.
In a media interview, Dr. Liu noted that while innovative technologies like regenerative medicine are advancing rapidly, transplantation remains the most stable and promising path for most patients.
However, this path of hope has become difficult in recent years, especially for deceased donations. Dr. Liu admitted that although 416 people donated in 2023, a 10-year high, the number has declined to 366 and 318 in the following two years due to successive negative news reports about organ trading.
"Taiwan absolutely prohibits organ trading; this is impossible in our country," Dr. Liu emphasized. As a human rights country, Taiwan amended its laws as early as 2015 to enforce this ban. Currently, a data cross-checking mechanism between the Department of Medical Affairs and the National Health Insurance Administration precisely tracks transplant histories.
Dr. Liu explained that patients who receive a transplant overseas will inevitably use immunosuppressants upon returning to Taiwan. If a patient has no transplant record in Taiwan but obtains immunosuppressants, the cross-checking system can immediately detect it. The government will continue to fill gray areas in the system.
Deputy Minister Victor Wang of the MOHW stated in his speech that when a person expresses willingness to donate organs or supports a family member's donation, it represents not only goodwill but also trust in medical professionalism and the system. The MOHW will continue to optimize relevant systems and processes to help the public feel more secure in understanding choices about life autonomy, ensuring that every act of love is properly cherished.
Chairman Li Ming-zhe of the Organ Donation and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center stated that promoting organ donation is not just a medical issue but also a part of life education. He pointed out that when society is more willing to naturally discuss life, autonomous choices, and a good death, there will be more opportunities for organ donation to become a continuation of love, rather than a difficult decision made hastily in a moment of crisis. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150606
Ahead of Organ Donation Memorial Day on June 19, the Organ Donation and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center held the "Remember Me 2026 Organ Donation Memorial Concert" today to pay the highest respects to all organ donors and their families, and to invite the public to contemplate life autonomy and the continuation of love.
According to MOHW statistics, approximately 12,000 to 13,000 people wait for organ transplants each year. However, from 2016 to 2025, the total number of deceased and living donors per year was only around 800 to 1,000. An average of 3.3 people per day lose their lives due to the inability to receive an organ transplant.
In a media interview, Dr. Liu noted that while innovative technologies like regenerative medicine are advancing rapidly, transplantation remains the most stable and promising path for most patients.
However, this path of hope has become difficult in recent years, especially for deceased donations. Dr. Liu admitted that although 416 people donated in 2023, a 10-year high, the number has declined to 366 and 318 in the following two years due to successive negative news reports about organ trading.
"Taiwan absolutely prohibits organ trading; this is impossible in our country," Dr. Liu emphasized. As a human rights country, Taiwan amended its laws as early as 2015 to enforce this ban. Currently, a data cross-checking mechanism between the Department of Medical Affairs and the National Health Insurance Administration precisely tracks transplant histories.
Dr. Liu explained that patients who receive a transplant overseas will inevitably use immunosuppressants upon returning to Taiwan. If a patient has no transplant record in Taiwan but obtains immunosuppressants, the cross-checking system can immediately detect it. The government will continue to fill gray areas in the system.
Deputy Minister Victor Wang of the MOHW stated in his speech that when a person expresses willingness to donate organs or supports a family member's donation, it represents not only goodwill but also trust in medical professionalism and the system. The MOHW will continue to optimize relevant systems and processes to help the public feel more secure in understanding choices about life autonomy, ensuring that every act of love is properly cherished.
Chairman Li Ming-zhe of the Organ Donation and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center stated that promoting organ donation is not just a medical issue but also a part of life education. He pointed out that when society is more willing to naturally discuss life, autonomous choices, and a good death, there will be more opportunities for organ donation to become a continuation of love, rather than a difficult decision made hastily in a moment of crisis. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150606