From April to June this year, Brazil performed less than half of organ and tissue transplants in early 2020. With the decrease of 61% in procedures, the number of deaths of patients registered in the waiting list increased by 44.5%.
The numbers led the Brazilian Transplant Association (ABTO) to project a drop in donations and transplants that had never been seen in the year, in contrast to a scenario that had been promising until then. In the account are heart, liver, pancreas, lung, kidney, cornea, and marrow.
When comparing the first half of 2020 and that of 2019, the decrease in total transplants was 32%, and the increase in deaths was 34%. If the country continues at this pace, the year could bring a 20.5% drop in procedures, a mark of nine years ago.
The pandemic caused the following: the disposal of infected organs; an increase in family denial so that the loved ones could be buried quickly; a contraindication to perform the procedure in cases where the recipient could wait; and even a lack of air logistics.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon