Veracruz and Estado de México promote organ donation initiatives

Health authorities in Veracruz and the State of Mexico are intensifying efforts to promote organ and tissue donation. In Xalapa, Veracruz, more than 2,100 young people participated in the ‘Social Run’ organized by the Municipal Youth Directorate and the Veracruz State Transplant Center. The event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of donation following National Organ and Tissue Donation Day.

Despite these initiatives, Veracruz faces significant challenges. Salvador Aburto Morales, head of the Veracruz State Transplant Center, reported that only about 10% of potential donors in the state agree to donate, placing Veracruz among the lowest rankings nationally. He emphasized that increasing the availability of deceased donors is critical, noting that while 70% of kidney transplants in Mexico currently come from living donors, countries with established donation cultures reach 90% from deceased donors.

In the State of Mexico, officials reported 929 organ and tissue donations over the last three years of Governor Delfina Gómez Álvarez’s administration. This progress is supported by 71 authorized establishments and a specialized Tissue Bank. The state also utilizes an aerial rescue strategy to facilitate the transport of organs.