One in three organ donors is older than 60

There are very few organ donors under the age of 20 in Belgium, and one in three donors is older than 60. In the last 25 years, the donor population has aged significantly, according to Ghent University Hospital (UZGent).

The explanation lies in a positive evolution: a sharp decrease in the number of road fatalities in recent years. "In the past, many of the donors were young crash victims. Now they’re more often people who die of a stroke," explained Marc Van der Vennet, transplant co-ordinator at UZGent.

While older organs do show more wear and tear, especially in the heart and pancreas, their lesser quality does not translate into less successful transplant operations. "Despite the older organs, we see that the survival rate of patients remains the same,” Van der Vennet explains. “We have better facilities and medications these days to help prevent the rejection of new organs.”