Vietnam proposes allowing minors to donate regenerative tissue

Vietnam's Minister of Health, Dao Hong Lan, has submitted a draft law to the National Assembly that proposes expanding tissue and organ donation rights to include minors. The draft law aims to increase the availability of life-saving biological materials, particularly regenerative tissues like bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cells, which can recover after being harvested.

Under the proposal, individuals aged 15 to under 18 may donate regenerative tissue to family members. Those under 15 would be restricted to donating only to biological parents, siblings, or direct relatives, provided no suitable adult donor is available. The draft also includes provisions for organ and tissue donation after brain death or circulatory death.

While the policy is recognized for its humanitarian potential to save patients, including children, it has sparked debate regarding child rights and ethics. The National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Social Affairs has called for rigorous assessments of psychological impacts and the risk of family pressure or coercion, emphasizing that minors require special protection to ensure all donations are truly voluntary.