As Thailand Ages, Organ Supply Plays Vital Role by Sasin’s Deputy Director Professor Kua Wongboonsin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Pavitra Jindahra, Ph.D. & Surat Teerakapibal, Ph.D..

Bangkok Post; September 3, 2015

Are you confident that you will age happily? The advancements in technology from agricultural to biomedical sciences have increased the average lifespan of the world’s population dramatically. And Thailand is no exception.

The UN reports that the global share of older people (aged 60 years or over) increased from 9.2% in 1990 to 11.7% in 2013. This means that we will see more than double the number of older people in society: a real demographic shift.

Should we be afraid of ageing? One particular area of concern for an ageing society is the need for organ donors. The fact that the demand for organ transplants far exceeds the supply might make you think twice. The dire scarcity of organ supplies in Thailand continues to worsen, especially when Thais live longer. The Thai Red Cross reports that only 333 out of 3,516 organ waiting list patients received transplants in 2012.The challenge is the increasing need of organ transplants while the number of donors remains mostly constant.

Read the full article in the Bangkok Post.