On Tuesday May 30th, President Museveni signed into law the Human Organ Donation and Transplant Bill.
The new law serves to regulate the donation and transplant of human organs, cells and tissue in Uganda.
This comes after reports of illicit organ harvesting from Ugandans working in the Middle East and organ trafficking within the country. This law aims to protect Ugandans from exploitation and ensure that organ donation and transplantation are carried out ethically and safely.
Although Uganda currently does not perform organ transplants, Health Minister Ruth Aceng said that the new law will protect Ugandans from organ, cells and tissue trafficking by ensuring that they are not exploited by unscrupulous individuals or organizations.
In addition, the Human Organ Donation and Transplant Law establishes the Uganda Organ and Transplant Council as the regulator and designates Mulago National Referral Hospital as the pioneer transplant center, with exclusive rights to conduct organ transplants in the country. Mulago Hospital will also be responsible for managing a waiting list for potential organs, cells and donors and recipients.
