Ontario now has 14 communities where at least half the citizens are registered organ donors.
The Trillium Gift of Life Network, a government non-profit agency which promotes organ donation and tracks provincial statistics, said six communities joined the ranks of the 50-per cent or more club in the last three months (https://beadonor.ca/community/list/desc/registration_rate).
The recent additons to the list are Parry Sound Mid Shore, Parry Sound North Shore, Fort Frances, Owen Sound, Espanola, and Ingersoll.
In 2011, when Trillium Gift of Life Network began reporting registration rates by community, not one community in Ontario had reached the 50 per cent benchmark.
North Bay has the highest organ donor registration rate in the province with 54 per cent of citizens registered.
Sudbury ranks third for organ donor registration with 52 per cent of the population registered.
Currently 30 per cent of eligible Ontarians are registered organ and tissue donors, which represents 3.7 million individuals.
Communities in southern Ontario continue to have the lowest registered organ donor rates in the province.
The cities of Vaughan and Markham are at the bottom of the list with 14 per cent of eligible citizens registered as organ donors.
Organ donation from one individual can help up to eight other people. Tissue donation from one person can help up to 75 others.
To register as an organ donor visit BeADonor.ca.
