Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton is calling on people throughout the Parkes electorate to register as organ and tissue donors as part of the Great Registration Race this DonateLife Week.

DonateLife Week promotes the importance of organ and tissue donation and encourages more Australians to register as donors. This year, 100,000 more Australians are being encouraged to sign up and join the Great Registration Race for DonateLife Week.

“This Great Registration Race for DonateLife Week, I’m encouraging residents throughout the Parkes electorate to give the ultimate gift of life and register as organ and tissue donors,” Mr Coulton said.

“Research shows that four in five Australians support donation, and yet there are around 13 million Australians aged over 16 who are eligible to register but haven’t.

“One of the key barriers to signing up is that most people don’t know how to register or simply haven’t gotten around to it.

“It really does take only one minute online at donatelife.gov.au or just three taps in your Medicare Express Plus app. This simple act can help save lives – in fact, one organ donor can save up to seven lives and help many more through eye and tissue donation.”

Last year saw a seven per cent reduction in the number of people who received a transplant, while the number of Australians who became organ and tissue donors dropped by nine per cent.

“With about 1,750 seriously ill people currently on Australia’s organ transplant waitlist, and an additional 13,000 people on dialysis, it’s never been more important to boost our numbers of donors to ensure these people can get the life-saving operation they need,” Mr Coulton said.

“So please, talk to your family about becoming a donor today, and get online and register this week.”

The Great Registration Race runs throughout July and August, but particularly during DonateLife Week from Sunday 24 July until Sunday 31 July

For more information, or to register as an organ and tissue donor, visit donatelife.gov.au/register