Vietnam Church calls for safeguarding rights of child organ donors

A proposed law without safeguards exposes children to exploitation and potential organ trafficking, critics say

 

UCA News | 2026.11.05

A Vietnamese Catholic bishop has joined activists to voice concerns as parliament debates a law seeking to permit minors to donate regenerative tissue to their siblings.

Bishop Joseph Nguyen Duc Cuong, head of the Episcopal Commission for Integral Human Development, said the need to save lives must be balanced with the rights and protection of donors.

In an open letter on Nov. 4, the prelate stressed that organ and tissue donation must be voluntary and informed, without disproportionate risks, and must respect human dignity and bodily integrity.

His appeal came after the National Assembly discussed a proposed law on human tissue and organ donation, transplantation, and the donation and retrieval of human bodies on Nov. 2.

The latest draft removes an earlier proposal allowing people under 18 to register as organ and tissue donors after death, stipulating that only adults may register.

However, it would allow minors to donate regenerative tissue, excluding blood and blood components, to biological siblings when no suitable adult donor is available and with written parental consent.

Cuong said good intentions did not automatically justify every means of achieving them.

“Organ and tissue donation must be carried out freely, with valid and informed consent, without disproportionate risks to donors, without commercialization, and always respecting human dignity and bodily integrity,” Cuong said.

Children require particular protection because their willingness to help others does not mean they can fully understand the consequences of medical interventions on their bodies, he said.

Neither family affection nor a sense of duty toward relatives should pressure children into procedures against their wishes.

“Children must receive independent counseling, be protected from pressure and have their right to refuse respected,” he said.

Parents do not own their children's bodies or have unlimited authority over decisions concerning them. Decisions must serve the child's best interests rather than merely the needs of the family or prospective recipient, he added.

Cuong said protecting children did not mean denying their generosity but ensuring it was not exploited or turned into a burden beyond their capacity.

His commission has submitted recommendations to the National Assembly and relevant authorities, urging stronger safeguards for minors.

Anthony Nguyen Thanh, a catechist, warned that allowing minors to donate regenerative tissue to siblings, even under restricted conditions, could expose children to exploitation and potential organ trafficking.

Thanh also warned that children could face pressure from adults and family members, particularly in households where gender discrimination and preference for sons persist. Children might be too young to understand decisions involving their bodies, life and death, he said.

Beyond concerns about minors, other voices have called for stronger safeguards to protect donors' rights and ensure voluntary consent.

Lawyer Vinh Thanh, based in Ho Chi Minh City, said legislation must balance the rights of donors and recipients.

“Someone waiting for an organ transplant urgently needs to be saved. The donor also needs legal protection. Both interests must be fully considered rather than allowing the suffering of one side to overshadow the legitimate concerns of the other,” he said.

National Assembly deputy Pham Khanh Phong Lan said the demand for organs and tissues was legitimate but could not justify overlooking donors' rights and safety.

Lan raised concerns about prisoners donating organs, saying safeguards must ensure their decisions were genuinely voluntary and free from pressure arising from detention

 

 

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