As per a new research carried out by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, more Canadians are donating organs during the current times, but the number is still not enough to keep up with the rapidly growing demand.

For the year 2008, as per the study, over 1,000 people from across the country donated organs, which is a 28% rise compared to the figure of 812 recorded for the year 1999. Demand for replacement organs, on the other hand, has also surged, more so on the back of a hike in the number of Canadians facing organ failures, in addition to advanced medical facilities which manage to keep patients alive for longer.

With the large gap in supply and demand, it has been reported that as many as 215 Canadians died last year alone waiting for an organ transplant.

"Our study shows that despite a significant increase in the number of kidney donations over the past decade, we are no further ahead when it comes to meeting demand", Jean-Marie Berthelot, Vice President of Programs at CIHI, said.

The study, released as "Organ Donor Activity in Canada, 1999 to 2008" on Tuesday, has revealed that diabetes is the leading cause of organ failures across Canada.