FACEBOOK HAS ADDED an option to allow users to share their organ donor status on their timeline in a bid to increase the number of donors.

From today, users in the UK and the US will be able to register as an organ donor through the website and make their intentions known to people they are friends with on the site.

Around 18 people die around the world each day because there aren’t enough organ donors to meet the demand. Medical experts have said broader awareness about organ donation helps to increase the number of people who sign up to be organ donors.

In a statement today, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg said they  believed the social network had a role in helping.

We believe that by simply telling people that you’re an organ donor, the power of sharing and connection can play an important role.

174 transplants were carried out in Ireland in 2010, but over 630 people were on the waiting list at the time, according to the Irish Kidney Association.

The IKA last year launched organ donor card apps for iPhone and Android (see here and here) which allow users to make their intentions clear about organ donation.

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