Transplantation is the best and frequently the unique treatment for patients with organ failure that primarily results from non-communicable diseases, which burden is increasing in nearly all countries throughout the world. According to data from the Global Observatory on Organ Donation and Transplantation (GODT), close to 154,000 organ transplants were performed in 2019. Yet the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that this constitutes only 10% of the organs needed for patients diagnosed with end-stage organ failure. The disparity between supply and demand of organs has likely been exacerbated during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an estimated decline of 15% in global transplant activities. Countries have also unequally developed organ transplantation, not only quantitatively, but also in terms of reliance upon living versus deceased donors.

1. To understand the global transplant needs and the current access of patients to transplantation
2. To identify factors that may impact the development of deceased donor transplantation
3. To describe strategies that can contribute to increasing the availability of organs from deceased donors