Brazil registered a record number of organ and tissue transplants in 2025, however donation still faces a major obstacle. Approximately 45% of families do not authorize organ donation after the death of a relative, which prevents more people from being attended to in the country's long transplant queues.
This data marks the arrival of Green September, the month of awareness about organ donation. Hepatologist Patrícia Almeida, member of the Brazilian Society of Hepatology and doctor from the University of São Paulo, highlights that talking about the wish to be a donor and explaining how transplants work are important steps to increase the population's knowledge on the subject.
In Brazil, the removal of organs after death depends exclusively on authorization from family members up to the second degree of kinship. Even if the person has declared the wish to be a donor during their lifetime, the final decision lies with the family, which makes talking about the subject fundamental to ensure the donor's wish is respected.
