Evolving Trends in Organ Donation and Transplantation Rates Across Muslim Majority Countries

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Transplantation Medicine
• Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

Background:

• Muslim-majority countries face a high burden of organ failure despite diverse socio-cultural and economic landscapes.
• Mapping organ donation and transplantation activity is crucial for future healthcare planning in these heterogeneous regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze organ donation and transplantation activity across 50 Muslim-majority countries between 2013-2023.
• To identify socioeconomic indicators associated with organ donation and compare activity rates between Muslim-majority and other countries.

Main Methods:

• Data from global registries (2013-2023) and open-source repositories were analyzed for 50 Muslim-majority countries.
• Poisson and negative binomial regression analyses were employed to assess socioeconomic associations and comparative donation rates.

Main Results:

• Organ donation/transplant activity was reported in only 21/50 countries, with living donors predominating over deceased donors.
• Kidney and liver transplantations were the most common procedures; other transplant activities were infrequent.
• Socioeconomic indicators correlated with donor activity, and Muslim-majority countries exhibited lower deceased donation rates compared to regional counterparts.

Conclusions:

• Access to transplantation remains limited in many Muslim-majority nations.
• Socioeconomic factors, alongside religious and cultural barriers, present significant challenges to organ donation.
• Heterogeneity necessitates the development of country-specific strategies to enhance transplantation opportunities.