Overview

• Over 8,100 people remain on Germany’s transplant waiting lists as 953 deceased donors provided organs in 2024, underscoring a persistent supply gap.
• The national digital organ donation register, launched in March 2024, has recorded over 319,000 entries but still falls short of ensuring decisions for most potential donors.
• Bundesgesundheitsministerin Nina Warken urged citizens to document their preferences and discuss donation with relatives to reduce the burden on families facing urgent choices.
• State health ministers and the German Medical Association plan to reintroduce a 'Widerspruchslösung' bill in the Bundestag to presume consent unless individuals opt out.
• Hospitals are piloting tools like the DETECT system to identify potential donors earlier, aiming to capture cases of brain death and increase transplant opportunities.