The people’s initiative to introduce presumed consent for organ donation has received the necessary number of signatures, helping it move one step closer to a nationwide vote.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
Español
es
Apoyo a iniciativa para facilitar donación de órganos
On Tuesday, the Federal Chancellery announced that the “Promote organ donation – save livesExternal link” initiative cleared a critical hurdle, receiving 112,633 votes. The proposal seeks to amend the constitution to reverse the explicit ‘opt-in’ policy of consent by a potential organ donor and introduce the principle of presumed consent.
With presumed consent, organs may be removed from a deceased person if the person did not object during their lifetime.
In October 2018, an organ donor register was launched to allow relatives to know for certain whether a family member who passes away really wanted to donate their organs. At the end of 2018, approximately 44,000 people were registered.
The people’s initiative was launched in 2017 by the Swiss chapter of the Junior Chamber International – an international NGO of entrepreneurs aged 18-40 – and the non-profit Swisstransplant foundation.
The campaigners hope to significantly increase the number of organ and tissue donors in Switzerland. At the end of last year, some 1,500 patients were on the transplant waiting list.
While the number of donors is slowly increasing in Europe, Switzerland remains in the bottom third for organ donations. In 2018, it was reported that the donor rate per million inhabitants increased from 13.7 in 2013 to 18.6 but this remained below the government target of 20 per million.
More
More
Organ donation: direct democracy and the law
This content was published on
Two doctors express concern that a Swiss initiative aimed at making everyone a potential organ donor could be a dangerous shortcut to more donations.
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.