The biomedicine agency, which released its annual figures on Tuesday, said 5,494 transplants took place in 2022, compared to nearly 6,000 in 2018 and 2019.
Despite positive momentum following two years weighed down by the health crisis, the number of organ transplants in France has still not returned to pre-Covid levels in 2022, the Biomedicine Agency said on Tuesday. And this while more and more French people need a transplant, with 20,000 people on the waiting list, active or inactive.
“The number of transplants reached in 2022 is encouraging, given the difficult situation experienced by certain health establishments in France”, made a point of welcoming François Kerbaul, director of organ harvesting and transplantation, during a press conference. and tissues at the biomedicine agency.
While specifying that “all the efforts made (…) will not make it possible to achieve the objectives set by the Transplant Plan and linked to patient expectations, if the hospital situation does not improve”.
21 new subscribers every day
In detail, 5,494 transplants took place in 2022, compared to 5,276 in 2021. In 2018-2019, however, this number rose to an average of 5,903 transplants. The hospital system is failing to keep up with demand: there are 21 new entries per day on the list of transplant applicants, compared to 15 daily operations.
On a case-by-case basis, kidney transplants are the most affected, as they are the most practiced in France. Between 2018 and 2019, approximately 3643 were made. A number that fell to 2,595 at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, before rising to 3,376 in 2022. But neither heart, liver, lung or pancreas transplants have returned to their pre-levels. the Covid.
The Biomedicine Agency nevertheless wishes to point out that donations have increased between 2021 and 2022. By +4.8% on brain-dead patients, and by +5% on all deceased donors, with a total of 1694 donors collected. And for 2023, the Biomedicine Agency evokes a “positive trend which is confirmed”.
Relatives in the dark
The publication of these figures comes at a time when a ministerial action plan 2022-2026 relating to organ transplantation has been decreed. Thus, additional funding of 210 million euros was decided.
“Which will bring the nation’s effort to more than 2 billion euros, for the benefit of organ and tissue removal and transplant activities over the duration of the plan”, underlines the Biomedicine Agency in a press release. .
But in addition to financial means, efforts remain to be made on the side of the population. 54% of French people say they are concerned by organ donation, reports the Biomedicine Agency, a figure which “has stagnated for a few years”. Only 47% of French people have spoken regarding it to their relatives.
“In one out of two cases, the relatives are therefore unable to decide on a possible opposition by the deceased”, regrets the Biomedicine Agency.