Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TOKYO1607
2009-07-15 06:01:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
JAPAN REVISES ORGAN TRANSPLANT LAW
how-toVZCZCXRO7590 OO RUEHAST RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL RUEHTM RUEHTRO DE RUEHKO #1607 1960601 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 150601Z JUL 09 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4586 INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO CITY 0641 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 6511 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0486 RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 5267 RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 2761 RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 7594 RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 9073 RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 5784 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3567 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 6176 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS TOKYO 001607
DEPT FOR EAP/J, EAP/EX, CA
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AEMED SOCI PGOV JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN REVISES ORGAN TRANSPLANT LAW
REF: Tokyo 002691
UNCLAS TOKYO 001607
DEPT FOR EAP/J, EAP/EX, CA
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AEMED SOCI PGOV JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN REVISES ORGAN TRANSPLANT LAW
REF: Tokyo 002691
1. The GOJ amended the National Organ Transplant Law of 1997 for
the first time July 13, making in-country organ donations easier.
The amended law, which passed the Diet's Upper House by a vote of
138 to 82, recognizes brain dead persons as legally deceased and
abolishes the age limit for organ donations. The original law
recognized brain death as legal death only in cases of persons who
had already declared their intention to donate organs. The original
law also prevented children under 15 from donating organs, and
thereby had complicated treatment of children with certain
conditions and diseases.
2. The revised law allows organ donations as long as the deceased
person has not explicitly refused donating his/her organs before
death and as long as family members agree. The new law gives
relatives the authority to consent to donations in cases where the
patient's own intentions are unclear. The amended law also gives
priority to relatives as recipients of donated organs.
3. Since Japan enacted the National Organ Transplant Law in 1997,
only 81 organ transplants have been conducted in the country due to
the strict requirements. The situation caused many Japanese
patients, especially children, to seek transplants abroad. For many
years Japanese activists called on the GOJ to ease age limitations
to create a means for children to receive organ donations in Japan.
Cultural and religious sensitivities and concerns about children's
rights delayed the amendments. The revised law will go into effect
in one year, and will bring Japan more in line with World Health
Organization (WHO) guidelines and the policy of the international
Transplantation Society encouraging countries to adopt measures
preventing "transplant tourism."
POST
DEPT FOR EAP/J, EAP/EX, CA
HHS PASS TO CDC
HHS FOR OGHA
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO AEMED SOCI PGOV JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN REVISES ORGAN TRANSPLANT LAW
REF: Tokyo 002691
1. The GOJ amended the National Organ Transplant Law of 1997 for
the first time July 13, making in-country organ donations easier.
The amended law, which passed the Diet's Upper House by a vote of
138 to 82, recognizes brain dead persons as legally deceased and
abolishes the age limit for organ donations. The original law
recognized brain death as legal death only in cases of persons who
had already declared their intention to donate organs. The original
law also prevented children under 15 from donating organs, and
thereby had complicated treatment of children with certain
conditions and diseases.
2. The revised law allows organ donations as long as the deceased
person has not explicitly refused donating his/her organs before
death and as long as family members agree. The new law gives
relatives the authority to consent to donations in cases where the
patient's own intentions are unclear. The amended law also gives
priority to relatives as recipients of donated organs.
3. Since Japan enacted the National Organ Transplant Law in 1997,
only 81 organ transplants have been conducted in the country due to
the strict requirements. The situation caused many Japanese
patients, especially children, to seek transplants abroad. For many
years Japanese activists called on the GOJ to ease age limitations
to create a means for children to receive organ donations in Japan.
Cultural and religious sensitivities and concerns about children's
rights delayed the amendments. The revised law will go into effect
in one year, and will bring Japan more in line with World Health
Organization (WHO) guidelines and the policy of the international
Transplantation Society encouraging countries to adopt measures
preventing "transplant tourism."
POST