The Culture of Reincarnation: An Obstacle to Organ Donation in Nigeria

Organ transplantation is a life-saving treatment for patients with organ failure. The need for organ transplantation has been increasing daily but the numbers of patients who need organs far exceed the supply. The rationale for the non-availability of organs is due to the belief in reincarnation among Nigerian citizens. Reincarnation is a religious belief both in Asia and Africa that humans are reborn as human beings or animals, depending on their previous lifestyle. Reincarnation is also the belief that the human soul or spirit reincarnates after death, to begin another life in a new body, either in human form or in animals, depending on the moral actions of the previous life. This belief affected organ supply in Nigeria because of thinking about what could happen to their organs after rebirth. Using the method of philosophical analysis, this study suggests the implementation of cultural hybridization by policymakers for the expansion of the organ donation pool. Hybridization is a strategy of synthesizing and accepting new ideologies or cultural differences aimed at producing a new identity for the common good of humanity. Cultural hybridization is plausible through the reorientation of potential organ donors to register for the expansion of the organ donation pool.