Ex-official says virus hasn't halted organ donations

Huang made the remarks in an interview on Thursday ahead of a ceremony in Beijing promoting organ donation.

During the ceremony, the China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation unveiled its official logo and published a group of stamps with an organ donation theme in conjunction with China Post.

Despite the increased availability of organ donors, the supply of organs is still falling far short of demand in China, Huang said.

About 20,000 transplants have been completed in China each year over the past two years, which means only one-third of all registered patients in need could get one, he said.