Govt move to implement Uganda Organ Donation and Transplant Act

By Ben Musanje

31^st July 2023

Government expects full implementation of the Uganda Human Organ Donation and Transplant Act and enforcement of organ transplant in the next five years once all requirements are met.

This has been disclosed by Dr Moses Muwanga, the Assistant Commissioner Health Services in the Department of Clinical Services at the Ministry of Health during the Media Orientation training on the Human Organ Donation and Transplant law today in Kampala.

He says that they have to establish a council to monitor the operation, approve technical health facilities that are to conduct organ transplant, train health workers, and secure enough medical drugs and sensitize the public about the organ donation and transplant among others.

Dr Muwanga says that once all these are established, it will require patients to pay medical charges ranging between Shs43m and Shs50m for a kidney transplant, which is half way the money paid in foreign countries.

Dr Frank Asiimwe, the Consultant Urologist and Transplant Surgeon at Mulago Hospital says the law doesn’t allow organ transplant during postmortem process and it is protective to patients but it is tough on medical officers.

He says that organ transplant is done in two systems which are the Living donor that is currently conducted in the country and cadaveric donor program which is expected to be enforced in five years to come.

On the 29^th of September 2022, heeding these calls, the Parliament of Uganda passed the Uganda Human Organ and Transplant Bill, 2021 which seeks to establish a legal framework for the regulation of organ, cell and tissue donation and transplantation in Uganda.

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