[Planning of transplantation centers]

Health policies are correlated with the economics resources invested in each specific field. The planning of organ transplant centres depends on the relationship between health demand and health offer. The health demand is due to the number of the patients which are waiting for a transplant, while the health offer is represented by all the specific resources: number of cadaver donors and transplant centres. The analysis of transplant activity performed in Italy during the period 1996-1998 suggests that it is not necessary to increase the number of transplant centres but that of organ donors.