FG launches guidelines on organ transplantation services

The Federal Ministry of Health on Thursday launched the standards and guidelines for establishing and coordinating organ and tissue transplantation services in Nigeria. Speaking during the exercise in Abuja, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the  guidelines are critical because they provide the much needed regulatory framework for […]

The Federal Ministry of Health on Thursday launched the standards and guidelines for establishing and coordinating organ and tissue transplantation services in Nigeria.

Speaking during the exercise in Abuja, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the  guidelines are critical because they provide the much needed regulatory framework for organ transplantation in the country.

Represented by Dr Jimoh Salaudeen, Director of Hospital Services, he said the guidelines addressed areas such as ethics in transplantation, donor protection, patient safety, minimum standards in organ transplantation as well as the procedure to ensure compliance, among others.

He said the guidelines aimed to restore trust in organ donation in Nigeria by promoting transparency, accountability and adherence to international best practices.

• EFCC quizzes ex-women affairs minister over N138m ‘fraud’
• Military kills 92 terrorists, captures 111 in latest operations

He said,” The document is particularly important giving Nigerians unique challenges. In recent times, we have witnessed troubling incidents of unethical organ harvesting and other excesses within the organ transplantation space. This sad narrative usually speaks about young Nigerian victims from poor background who were targeted by criminal cartel lured with money or false promises of a better life. These cases underscore the urgent need for strengthened regulations to protect organ donors and recipients alike.”

 

He said the policy document which was validated on November 13, 2024 represented a significant milestone in the collective effort to enhance organ donation and transplantation practices in Nigeria.

While saying that organ transplantation is not merely a medical procedure, he added that it is a life giving opportunity that offers a second chance to individuals suffering from end stage organ failure.

He said the next steps was commencement of mapping and certifying of all health institutions engaged in donations and transplantation to ensure they meet the highest standard of practice, establishment of an organ donation and transportation registry and banking system to streamline the management of organ donations across Nigeria.

He said, “As Nigerians legislative landscape regarding unethical organ harvesting is evolving. We recognize the need to further strengthen our current laws stipulating penalties to address violations of the provision of this guideline and that of National Health Act 2014, in other words, the effort to sanitise organ transplantation processes in Nigeria is a work in progress, and our government will ensure that nothing stopped it.”

Prof. Philip Olayele Abiodun, chairman , National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee (NTHISC), said  following the launch of the guidelines , all institutions or individuals carrying out transplantation  procedures must a get license.

He said that non-compliance would not be tolerated as the  country entrenches a culture of accountability within its healthcare system.

He said  far too long, organ transplantation in Nigeria has been plagued by irregularities, exploitation, lack of robust regulatory frameworks, noting that the  challenges  left many vulnerable to unethical practices.

He said the launch of the guidelines was a decisive step towards changing the narrative and building a system that prioritizes transparency, accountability, equity and other ethical standards.

He said the NTHISC established through the National Health Act, 2014 has the mandate to regulate tertiary health care facilities across the country, adding “One of our core responsibilities is ensuring that organ transportation services in the country are conducted safely and ethically. This document we are launching today is a critical tool for fulfilling this very mandate.”

He said the guidelines on  transplantation cover kidney, liver, eye tissue and cornea,  stem cell or bone marrow transplantation, gamete and embryo donation, storage and surrogacy, among others.

The immediate past President of Transplant Association of Nigeria, Prof. Fatiu Arogundade who was represented by Dr Abdulkabir Ayanniyi, said the guidelines contained  standards of practice for hospitals to carry out transplants,  information on who, when, how, where some transplant procedures can take place,   post donation transplantation procedure guide and follow up care, and also recommended the establishment of human organ bank.