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British Medical Journal •

India’s organ transplant paradox: women donate the most and receive the least

Women in India donate nearly twice as many organs as men, yet men are more likely to be recipients. Rupsa Chakraborty asks why
The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (Notto), India’s apex government body overseeing organ donations, says that 63.8% of all living organ donors from 2019 to 2023—mostly liver and kidneys—were women. Yet men received the majority of donated organs, accounting for 69.8% of the recipients.
A BMJ analysis of the data reveals deep rooted gender inequalities pervading India’s health systems and societal attitudes to women’s health. The underlying causes of this paradox include sociocultural factors, economic dependence, and healthcare attitudes and practices, requiring a holistic approach.

Why India is failing to track heatstroke fatalities properly

As of 18 June, India had reported 110 deaths from heatstroke this year and another 40 272 suspected cases, amid temperatures nearing 50°C that have affected large parts of the country. Most were in rural areas and linked to strenuous outdoor agricultural work, and doctors warn that the mortality rate is likely much worse than officially recorded.1“Doctors aren’t properly trained in certifying deaths of heatstroke,” says Dileep Mavalankar, a doctor who played a key role in formulating India’s fir...

British Medical Journal •

India’s organ transplant paradox: women donate the most and receive the least

Women in India donate nearly twice as many organs as men, yet men are more likely to be recipients. Rupsa Chakraborty asks why
The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (Notto), India’s apex government body overseeing organ donations, says that 63.8% of all living organ donors from 2019 to 2023—mostly liver and kidneys—were women. Yet men received the majority of donated organs, accounting for 69.8% of the recipients.
A BMJ analysis of the data reveals deep rooted gender inequalities pervading India’s health systems and societal attitudes to women’s health. The underlying causes of this paradox include sociocultural factors, economic dependence, and healthcare attitudes and practices, requiring a holistic approach.

Why India is failing to track heatstroke fatalities properly

As of 18 June, India had reported 110 deaths from heatstroke this year and another 40 272 suspected cases, amid temperatures nearing 50°C that have affected large parts of the country. Most were in rural areas and linked to strenuous outdoor agricultural work, and doctors warn that the mortality rate is likely much worse than officially recorded.1“Doctors aren’t properly trained in certifying deaths of heatstroke,” says Dileep Mavalankar, a doctor who played a key role in formulating India’s fir...