Sat Aug 02 16:06:10 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, incorporating an Indian perspective and suitable for The Hindu newspaper:

**Telangana Honored for Leading the Nation in Organ Donation**

**HYDERABAD, August 2, 2025** – Telangana’s Jeevandan programme has been recognized for achieving the highest cadaver organ donation rate in India, marking a significant step forward in addressing the country’s critical organ shortage. The award was presented by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda during the 15th Indian Organ Donation Day celebrations held in New Delhi today.

The recognition underscores the success of the Jeevandan programme, launched in 2013, in promoting awareness and facilitating organ donation across the state. In 2024, Telangana recorded a donation rate of 4.88 donors per million population (pmp), significantly exceeding the national average of 0.8 pmp. While this achievement is commendable, officials acknowledge that India still lags behind global leaders like the United States (30 pmp) and Spain (48 pmp), highlighting the need for continued efforts to improve organ donation rates nationwide.

In the past year, the Jeevandan programme facilitated organ donation from 188 brain-dead individuals, resulting in the successful transplantation of 725 organs and tissues. This included 297 kidneys, 175 livers, 26 hearts, 152 corneas, and 75 lungs, benefiting recipients not only in Telangana but also across the country.

The programme, administered by the Cadaver Transplantation Advisory Committee (CTAC) and the Appropriate Authority for Cadaver Transplantation (AACT), has been instrumental in streamlining the organ donation and transplantation process. Since its inception, Jeevandan has facilitated the donation of organs and tissues from 1,673 deceased donors, leading to 6,309 transplants.

“Telangana’s success serves as an example for other states in India,” commented a senior official at the event. “The government remains committed to strengthening the Jeevandan programme and promoting organ donation as a life-saving act, to help people across the nation.” The Hindu plans to publish a feature article on Wednesday that will include information on the long-term health benefits of organ transplants as well as the continued challenges of organ harvesting and preservation, particularly in rural India.

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