Bridging the Supply-Demand Gap for Heart Transplantation in India Through Community-based Interventions: A Narrative Review

Globally, the demand for heart transplantation exceeds the available donor hearts, resulting in a persistent supply-demand gap. The objectives of this article are to identify potential challenges in facilitating heart donation, ascertain the rationale for community-based strategies, and propose effective public health interventions to bridge existing gaps. The practice of heart donation, specifically, and organ donation in general, has been plagued by the presence of different concerns in India. Acknowledging the wide gap in supply and demand for donated hearts and the presence of multiple factors that cumulatively determine rates of heart donation, there is an immense need to adopt community-based interventions, as they can play a crucial role in building trust within the community through their engagement. In conclusion, community participation has been recognized as a critical strategy for enhancing heart donation practices. The implementation of sustainable and culturally rooted strategies, well-supported by the involvement of different stakeholders, is crucial to discourage myths, improve consent, and expand the pool of heart donors.