More Canberrans are consenting to donate the organs of their deceased loved ones, but only a quarter of the population is registered, according to the latest Commonwealth data.
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The 2022 Australian Donation and Transplantation Activity Report shows that 10 people in the ACT had donated organs in 2022.
These 10 donations had a near three-fold effect by going to 29 recipients, with the report showing that one donor can help on average seven people.
ACT donation consent rates were at 58 per cent in 2022, above the national average of 54 per cent.
But only 27 per cent of Canberrans aged above 16 had put their names down on the organ donor registry, far below that national average of 36 per cent of the population.
There were 4980 new registrations in the ACT in 2022, which is slightly above pre-pandemic levels. It was almost double in 2021 after a spike of more than 9800 new registrations.
Donate Life ACT agency manager Nadia Burkholter accredited the 2021 spike to people accessing their MyGov accounts in the pandemic, which had a direct link to the Australian Organ Donor Register
Ms Burkholter said these 10 ACT donors may have saved the lives of people anywhere in the country, depending on the eligibility of matching organs.
There are 1800 people on the waitlist Australia-wide, however, only two per cent of people who die in hospital can be considered for an organ transplant.
Ms Burkholter reiterated calls for Canberrans to put their name down on the Australian Organ Donor Register.
"I thank the families of these people who did donate last year, it's a big deal. It's a privilege to work with these families," Ms Burkholter said.
"It's literally life saving and I'm always amazed it's the ultimate gift to perfect strangers."
It comes as organ donations are starting to recover from the impacts of COVID and return to pre-pandemic levels.
The drop was due to pressures on hospitals, restricted family visits, increased risks to immunosuppressed patients and staffing.
Nationally, 454 organ donors enabled 1224 people to receive a transplant in 2022, up eight per cent on the previous year.
Victoria is leading the way with the highest number of donors, and a 30 per cent increase since 2021.
"We have a giving community in the ACT, we are generous and are health-literate, but there's something stopping people from taking the next step and signing up," Ms Burkholter said.
"It takes less than one minute to sign up, less time it takes than to find your Medicare card."
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