Which communities are less likely to donate organs in Quebec?

The proportion of people from Black, Middle Eastern, and North African communities who intend to donate organs after their death is considerably lower than in other ethnic groups, according to a Léger poll released Tuesday. Religion and a lack of information are believed to be factors in the observed gap.

Indeed, a majority of people from Indigenous (82 per cent), Latin American (79 per cent), and Caucasian (74 per cent) communities intend to donate their organs after their death, while approximately half of North African/Middle Eastern people and only 41 per cent of Black people would do the same.

The survey was commissioned by Transplant Québec to mark National Organ and Tissue Donation Week, which runs from April 20 to 26. Its goal is to better understand the public’s perceptions of organ donation and transplantation, their motivations, and their concerns. The ultimate goal of this organization, which manages the organ donation process and equitable distribution in Quebec, is to increase the number of transplants performed in order to save more lives.

According to the most recent data from Transplant Québec, last year, 206 deceased donors resulted in the transplantation of 644 organs, a 20 per cent increase in 10 years. However, 856 Quebecers were waiting for an organ transplant as of Dec. 31, 2024. Across Canada, the province performs poorly in terms of organ donation performance.

“Every year we have one week where we try to give all kinds of information to the public to make this an awareness week, to make sure that people know what we’re talking about, the process, how you can register to become an organ donation,” said Martine Bouchard, the executive director of Transplant Quebec.

“We really want to go and meet the community and better understand instead of having one message across that one-size-fits-all message that clearly does not work.”

Black, Middle Eastern/North African, and Latin American communities have the highest proportions of people who report being poorly informed about the organ donation process.

“It took me three years of reflection of just the fact to accept that, yes, I want to do this and I want to help other people to get this donation,” said Marc Khalil, an organ donor. “Put yourself in the shoes of the receiver as well and see how the process is for the other side, the waiting list, the hope, the joy, the long life that they can live through this donation.”

More than half of Black and Latin American people feel poorly informed about the steps to express their wishes regarding organ donation. This rate rises to 63 per cent among North Africans and Middle Easterners. Approximately four in ten white people consider themselves poorly informed about organ donation. This figure rises to just over a third among Indigenous people and 47 per cent among Asians.

Indigenous and Latin American communities are the most likely to want to donate their organs after their death, with nearly 80 per cent of them expressing this preference, which is higher than that of Caucasians (75 per cent).

Religion could be a factor influencing people’s decision to donate their organs after their death, according to Transplant Québec. The organization indicates that a significant proportion of believers, particularly Christians and Muslims in the groups surveyed, say they would not donate their organs. The results also show that non-believers express a more favourable attitude toward organ donation.

“What would you feel if you were in those shoes? How would your family feel? How your hope would be diminished? Because there aren’t too many people from your region, from your race, from your culture who are not on the list to give you that more probability in order to get an organ,” explained Zeina Khamis, an organ donor.

“You’re either giving or you’re getting. And I don’t want to be the person getting, I hope nobody gets there, but you definitely want to be the person who is able to give.”

Among Black, Latin American, and Middle Eastern people who are unfavorable or undecided, many fear that the medical team will not do everything necessary to save their lives. “Among some respondents from the Middle East or North Africa, concerns are more related to the possibility of not being able to properly perform funeral rites or the fear of going against their religion,” according to the Léger results presentation document. Asian respondents who expressed reservations are more concerned that medical personnel will disrespect their bodies and organs.

“One of the things that we’ve been working for, Transplantation Bank has been working for with the government, is to have a law, one law. We’re one of the only province in Canada that doesn’t have a law on organ donation and transplantation. Amongst that law, various elements were included. And what we suggest is to have one platform,” explained Bouchard.

The survey data was collected from Feb. 17 to 25, and a total of 624 Quebecers were surveyed, which corresponds to an overall margin of error of 3.9 per cent. Specifically, the sample included 100 Asians, 75 Indigenous people, 100 Black people, 100 Latin Americans, 101 Middle Easterners/North Africans, and 148 Caucasians.

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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews