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Vietnam organ and tissue donation law proposal

Updated 4 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-25 03:20 UTC → 2026-10-26 02:33 UTC · added removed

Vietnam’s Minister of Health, Dao Hong Lan, submitted a draft law to the National Assembly proposing that minors be allowed to donate regenerative tissues, such as bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cells. Under the initial proposal, individuals aged 15 to under 18 could donate to family members, while those under 15 would be restricted to donating only to direct biological relatives if no suitable adult donor is available. The proposal also includes provisions for organ and tissue donation following brain or circulatory death. While intended to increase the availability of life-saving materials, the draft has raised ethical concerns regarding child rights and the potential for family coercion. In response to public concern, the Ministry of Health clarified that the amendments aim to expand the donor pool to assist children with life-threatening illnesses, noting that adult organs are often unsuitable for pediatric transplants due to size and anatomical differences. To prevent exploitation, the Ministry of Health emphasized safeguards such as requiring written consent from legal representatives, verifying donor-recipient relationships, representatives and prohibiting the use of guardianship or adoption status to obtain tissues. Medical professionals, including Professor Tran Minh Dien of During discussions on the National Children's Hospital draft Law on Donation, Retrieval, and Associate Professor Nguyen Lan Hieu Transplantation of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, have emphasized Human Tissues and Organs, National Assembly Delegate Pham Khanh Phong Lan expressed significant concerns. She argued that minors may lack the need cognitive maturity to distinguish between two distinct practices: comprehend the donation long-term consequences of regenerative tissues from living minors to save relatives, such decisions and the donation of organs after brain or circulatory death. While living minors could donate regenerative tissues like hematopoietic stem cells to relatives warned that consent might not be truly voluntary due to treat conditions such as leukemia, the draft also allows individuals under 18 emotional pressure from family members. Additionally, Delegate Lan cautioned that granting decision-making power to register for organ and tissue donation after death, provided legal representatives provide written consent. Experts continue to suggest adding independent third-party oversight and monitoring by child protection agencies could lead to ensure inequity within families, particularly in households where gender discrimination or other biases exist. She emphasized that the best interests of need for organs should not supersede the child are protected. fundamental safety and ethical treatment of young donors.

Versions

  1. 2026-10-26 02:33 UTC Vietnam organ and tissue donation law proposal
  2. 2026-10-25 03:20 UTC Vietnam organ and tissue donation law proposal
  3. 2026-10-24 14:07 UTC Vietnam organ and tissue donation law proposal
  4. 2026-10-23 09:40 UTC Vietnam organ and tissue donation law proposal
  5. 2026-10-23 08:05 UTC Vietnam organ and tissue donation law proposal

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