By Bahk Eun-ji
The number of people who pledged to donate their organs posted a sharp rise last year, ending three years of consecutive decline, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Sunday.
The number of organ donation pledges stood at 159,999, last year, up 82 percent from a year earlier. It is the first time that the number of pledges has increased since 2009 when it peaked at 184,764 compared to 87,754 a year earlier.
By region, Sejong City posted the biggest jump from 6 in 2012 to 160 in 2013. The number of people who signed up to donate in South Jeolla Province rose to 5,047 from 1,649 the previous year. Gwangju posted a 204 percent gain to 4,813 from 1,584.
The CDC attributed the sharp rise in organ donation pledges in South and North Jeolla provinces to active local government roles.
"When the Suncheon Bay Garden Expo was held last year, the local government gave special discounts for entrance tickets to people who signed up for organ donation. It is a notable example of cooperation between central government and local administrations," a CDC official said.
By age, the number of pledges among teens jumped up from 694 in 2012 to 7,577 in 2013, and those in their 30s also rose to 32,173 from 14,894.
CDC officials said the rise in pledges from the young age groups reflects the introduction of a system allowing them to sign up via mobile phones.
"Although the number has notably increased, the number is still only 2 percent of the total population. To resolve the imbalance between organ supply and demand, religious groups, local governments and private organizations have to work together to boost public awareness for organ donation," said the CDC official.
The number of people who pledged to donate their organs posted a sharp rise last year, ending three years of consecutive decline, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Sunday.
The number of organ donation pledges stood at 159,999, last year, up 82 percent from a year earlier. It is the first time that the number of pledges has increased since 2009 when it peaked at 184,764 compared to 87,754 a year earlier.
By region, Sejong City posted the biggest jump from 6 in 2012 to 160 in 2013. The number of people who signed up to donate in South Jeolla Province rose to 5,047 from 1,649 the previous year. Gwangju posted a 204 percent gain to 4,813 from 1,584.
The CDC attributed the sharp rise in organ donation pledges in South and North Jeolla provinces to active local government roles.
"When the Suncheon Bay Garden Expo was held last year, the local government gave special discounts for entrance tickets to people who signed up for organ donation. It is a notable example of cooperation between central government and local administrations," a CDC official said.
By age, the number of pledges among teens jumped up from 694 in 2012 to 7,577 in 2013, and those in their 30s also rose to 32,173 from 14,894.
CDC officials said the rise in pledges from the young age groups reflects the introduction of a system allowing them to sign up via mobile phones.
"Although the number has notably increased, the number is still only 2 percent of the total population. To resolve the imbalance between organ supply and demand, religious groups, local governments and private organizations have to work together to boost public awareness for organ donation," said the CDC official.
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