Spain world leader in organ transplants

Spain conducted over 4,000 transplants in 2009, making it the world leader in the field of organ transplants.

Spain conducted over 4,000 transplants in 2009, making it the world leader in the field of organ transplants.

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This has been declared in the 2010 edition of the EU's newsletter Transplant, which will be released in early September, though part of its content was revealed on Friday by Spain's health and social policy ministry.

"Transplant activity in Spain, which retains its world leadership in this field, continues to grow in a sustained manner, basically thanks to donations from family members of elderly people who have died," the report said.

In 2009, there were a total of 1,605 donors, which signifies an average of 34 donors per one million people.

Spain was responsible for 17.5 percent of all organ donations in the EU in 2009. There were 4,028 transplants performed, setting all-time records with 2,328 kidneys, 219 lungs, 1,099 livers, 274 hearts, 97 pancreas and 11 intestines.