KUNMING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- More than 1,000 Chinese and foreign organ transplant specialists gathered Saturday in southwest China's Kunming City for a conference.
China Organ Donation and Transplantation Conference covers topics including donor sources, clinical practice, education and ethical standards.
"A successful transplant system requires the dedication of transplant professionals, coordination between the health sector and government and definitive legislation," said Nancy Ascher, president of the Transplantation Society. "It's great to see China's achievements with the support of the government and public."
A total of 2,866 organ donations took place in China from January to July in 2017, a 33 percent increase on a yearly basis, according to Huang Jiefu, chairman of the China National Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee (COTDF).
"China has issued over 30 policies and regulations to ensure the transparency and fairness of organ donation," Guo Yanhong from National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) said at the conference.
"China banned the use of organs donated by executed prisoners in 2015 and made voluntary donation the only legitimate source," he said.
So far, nearly 300,000 people in China have expressed a wish to donate organs, according to NHFPC.
"A shortage of organ transplant doctors is also impeding progress, but we have trained over 500 Chinese doctors since 2012," said Marti Manyalich, president of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement. "We welcome China's involvement in the cause, and there will be more training and exchange programs in China."
The conference was co-hosted by COTDF and China Organ Donation Administrative Center under the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC), backed by NHFPC and RCSC.