Organ transplants on hold due to funding shortfall

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ugandan government suspended its human organ transplant programme due to a lack of funding. Dr. Jane Aceng, the Minister of Health, explained the situation to Parliament’s Health Committee.

The program requires Shs 5 billion to become operational. This money would be used to establish and train the Human Organ Transplant Council, a critical body mandated by the Uganda Human Organ Donation and Transplant Act of 2023.

“We can’t proceed without the Council in place,” said Dr Aceng. “The facilities are ready, but they need the Council’s oversight and expertise. This is entirely new territory for Uganda, so the Council needs proper training,”

The Shs5 billion budget breakdown allocates Shs 3.6 billion for training and acquiring best practices from other countries, while the remaining Shs1.4 billion would cover the Council’s operational costs.