Each year, only about 20,000 out of the 300,000 patients in China with late-stage organ failure waiting for a transplant receive an organ.

According to Chen Zhishui, head of Tongji Hospital's Institute of Organ Transplantation, only about one in 6.7 patients waiting for a liver transplant can wait long enough to receive a donation.

Organ donation, as in many countries, can be a sensitive subject in China, with some believing for spiritual reasons that a body must remain whole. However, attitudes are changing.

Since 2015, organ donations and transplant surgeries have been on the rise. Last year, China recorded 10,778 organ donations, including 6,454 posthumous donations, a 14.7 percent increase from the previous year. The country also carried out nearly 24,000 organ transplant surgeries, up by 18.1 percent from the previous year.

"China's organ transplantation skills are among the most advanced in the world, but a shortage of organs remains a serious challenge," Chen said.

"In recent years, we have dedicated concerted efforts to promote organ donation registrations, enhancing the use of marginal donated organs and accelerating research into xenotransplantation and artificial organs," he said.

According to a guideline released by the National Health Commission and 13 other government departments in May, the country aims to achieve an annual growth rate of at least 10 percent in terms of the number of voluntary registrations in the next five years.

The nation will also strive to raise the organ donation rate to eight per million people within five years. The rate stood at 4.6 last year. For developed nations such as the United States and countries in Europe, the donation rate ranges from 30 to 40 per million people.

wangxiaoyu@chinadaily.com.cn