( CNN ) -- On average , 18 people in the United States die each day waiting for an organ transplant . Billionaire Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg wants to change that . He announced Tuesday that the social networking site wants to `` help solve the crisis '' by allowing users to volunteer as potential organ donors in the United States and the United Kingdom . `` We think that a lot of people who might just be on the fence about whether or not they want to do this , could be convinced to do that , '' Zuckerberg told ABC News . He described widespread acceptance of organ donation as `` a shift in society that will probably take a while to fully take hold '' until more Facebook users start sharing their experiences . `` But I think that if people choose to share these stories with their friends , that can make a big difference over time . '' CNN 's Elizabeth Cohen : Each donor can save seven lives . More than 114,000 people in the United States are awaiting organ donations , 79 people on an average day receive a transplant while 18 die , according to Organdonor.gov . The site says more than 100 million people in the U.S. are registered donors . `` We could save thousands more lives a year if we had another 20 , 30 , 40 million more people registered , '' said David Fleming , president and CEO of Donate Life America , which is partnering with Facebook in this effort . The Facebook tool works like this : Users go to their timelines , where under Life Event they will see a health and wellness section . Zuckerberg said : `` You put in , ' I decided to be an organ donor ' and your state or country you live in and you can add a story about how you decided to be an organ donor . '' More than 10,000 people in the United Kingdom need a transplant , according to the website for NHS Blood and Transplant . A Facebook user will also see a Share Your Donor Status link when a friend 's donor update hits their news feed . The Facebook page also includes links to Donate Life America for people to become official donors . Going through an online state registry or indicating you want to be a donor when you get your driver 's license means signing a legal agreement , unlike the Facebook pledge . `` The Facebook partnership is an opportunity for people to share decisions , '' Fleming said . `` The most important part of this is actually registering to be a donor so that your wishes can be carried out . Sharing that decision through Facebook is an opportunity to encourage your friends and family to also register . '' People have shared their desire to donate their organs on Facebook before , and others have talked about their need for a transplant , but the idea is n't to match these people , Fleming said . Promoting social agendas has n't been a big tradition at Facebook , although in 2011 it did pair with CNN 's sister company , Cartoon Network , to rally against bullying . There have been several other initiatives . `` Encouraging users to share that they are organ donors is another simple and non-controversial move Facebook can make to add value to the service beyond the traditional status updates and photo sharing , '' wrote Brittany Darwell , lead writer at the blog Inside Facebook , in an e-mail to CNN . She said Facebook has also been involved with finding places to vote in national elections , issuing Amber Alerts through some pages , as well as joining a group of companies to promote world peace . Anne Paschke , a spokeswoman for the United Network for Organ Sharing , applauded the organ donation plan . `` It 's absolutely fabulous that so many people will learn how easy it is to sign up to be an organ , eye and tissue donor , '' she said . Organdonor.gov also recommends that people who want to be donors inform family members , tell their doctors and include this wish in their wills . Facebook has 161 million users in the United States , spokeswoman Sarah Feinberg said in an e-mail . She said the company did n't have solid numbers on how many people had used the organ donation tool yet . CNN 's Miriam Falco and Matt Sloane contributed to this report .
NEW : Facebook says users in U.S. and U.K. can sign up . Facebook is allowing users to ID themselves as potential organ donors . Mark Zuckerberg says the move may `` make a big difference over time '' More than 114,000 people in the U.S. are awaiting organ donations , government says .