China needs to improve management and laws regarding human organ transplants in order to improve recovery rates among transplant patients, a senior health official said Thursday.

China is the world's second largest performer of organ transplants, but the overall recovery rates lag behind international levels, said Vice Minister of Health Huang Jiefu at a conference.

Poor management of organ sources, sharing, registration and monitoring of transplant patients had raised concerns in the international community, and urgent improvements were necessary, he said.

Huang called on major domestic health associations like the China Medical Association and associations of medical pratitioners to set up self-regulation mechanisms to help health departments regulate transplants.

"The associations should play a role and cooperate more with health authorities," he told the annual Chinese hospital management conference.

It is estimated that two million Chinese need transplants each year, but only 20,000 operations are conducted because of a shortage of organs. This has resulted in an illegal organ trade in some regions.

Foreign media have reported that organs are taken from executed criminals, but the Ministry of Health explicitly denied this in April, labeling the reports "untrue" and "malicious slander" of the judiciary system.

"Most organs in China have been voluntarily donated by ordinary citizens on their deaths, and a small number from executed criminals who voluntarily signed donation approvals," said ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an.

But he admitted that the government needed to enhance supervision and to ban improper conduct related to human organ transplant.

The Ministry of Health on March 27 issued a temporary regulation on transplants, banning the sale of organs and tightening approval standards for transplant. It will take effect as of July 1.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2006)