SA record highest rate in organ donation

South Australia (SA) has had the highest rate of donors per million of population in the country for the past six years, almost double the national rate.

The current donation rate as stated by SA's Health Minister John Hill is 20 donors for every million people, compared to the national rate of 11 donors per million.

Mr Hill in his statement on Sunday said that greater public awareness and highly effective organ donation coordination system pioneered in SA has resulted in a rate that is among the best in the world.

South Australia is one of the few states to assist private hospitals with the costs of organ donation and we've also recruited and trained a network of senior clinicians and specialist nurses to work in major public hospitals at the forefront of the national campaign to raise donor rates.

Mr Hill said families needed to discuss each other's views on the issue because even if a person was registered as a donor, the next of kin would be asked to give consent for the donation.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Saturday launched the government's latest TV campaign to promote organ donation.

Under this campaign - titled To donate life, discuss it today - OK - TV ads go to air from Sunday night, encouraging families to talk about organ donation.

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