Join the movement during DonateLife Week and register as an organ or tissue donor

Almost 350,000 people across Australia registered as a donor in 2021 - an 87 per cent increase since 2020, and the Organ and Tissue Authority (OATA) is encouraging more to do so during DonateLife Week.

The aim of DonateLife Week, which runs from July 24 to 31, is to have 100,000 Australians register as part of the Great Registration Race.

According to DonateLife, run by the OATA, 1174 lives were saved in 2021, because of the generosity of 421 deceased organ donors and their families.

The government body's 2021 Australian Donation and Transplantation Activity Report revealed that there were 110,331 new registrations in NSW alone.

Despite the increase, there has been a decline in organ transplant recipients in comparison to 2020, the report found.

There are about 1750 people on a waiting list for a transplant, with more than 13,000 individuals on top of that on dialysis.

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Donations can be used for various diseases, heart failure, type one diabetes, skin grafts, replacing bone tissue and people who are going blind or losing their eyesight.

About 13 million Aussies over the age of 16 are eligible to be donors, according to DonateLife, but have not signed up.

Those who think they have signed up, can check by going to donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today.

You can register on the site, through MyGov, the Express Plus Medicare app or via this form on servicesaustralia.gov.au.

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