Abstract

“Organ shortage” still remains a dramatic problem faced by patients awaiting organ transplantation. Getting organs for transplantation depends on people's decisions; thus, public opinion is essential to finding a solution to this problem. Paradoxically, although the mortality of people waiting for organs increases each year, the characteristics of social education programs have remained unchanged. The classic slogan "to donate is to give life" remains solidly valid throughout the world. Several surveys regarding the usefulness of current programmatic strategies to change social attitude toward donation have not demonstrated a definite positive result in changing people’s behavior. Fear of death and mutilation, a distrust of medical teams, hostility towards new ideas and religious uncertainties have all been suggested as more relevant barriers to donation than lack of education and information. Education should be used to reshape public opinion about the use of organs for transplantation. However, essentially innovative programs, proposing new suggestions to the public, should be attempted to improve current social response towards organ donation. Society should accept that using organs for transplantation is moral and offers a source of health for everybody. The concept that using the organs of a deceased individual implies sharing a source of health could be, with time and understanding, a social agreement between all members of society. Suggestions to change people’s attitudes t wards organ donation and improving organ shortages may include the following catchphrases: a. During life, everybody may be a potential organ receptor. b. The organs of the deceased are an irreplaceable sources of health; and c. The body after death is a chance to “share” health with everyone. A recent survey of medical professionals with university activity has shown that the already defined lack of knowledge in the problem of organ donation and transplants is practically unchanged at the level of current medical education in the universities. Finally, in an attempt to improve the present reality, education in schools, colleges and universities, with programs that consider new encouraging options of social communication, should be seriously evaluated and put into practice by those responsible for international education plans.