Organ Transplantation

Organ transplantation is, without a hesitation, one of the most major achievements in modern medicine. In many cases, it is the only effective therapy for end-stage organ failure and is broadly practiced around the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 21,000 liver transplants, 66,000 kidney transplants, and 6000 heart transplantation were performed globally in 2005.1 In addition, data showed that living kidney, liver, and lung donations declined, going from 7,004 in 2004 to 6,219 in 2008 making it a challenge for patients who are in need of organ transplant1. According to the WHO; an estimated 46,000 people in Egypt are in need of transplants, most of them liver and kidney transplants. Egypt’s population of around 80,471,879 is made up of the following ethnic group: Eastern stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian other European 1%. Religious groups include: Muslim 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%. Healthy life expectancy is estimated at 57.8 for males; and 60.2 for females and overall mortality rate per 1000 population of 240 males and 157 females. 2

In the United States and Europe, organs can be obtained from people who have agreed to be donors if they become brain-dead. However, in Egypt brain-death criteria for organ transplant are not accepted. Only organs acquired from living donors can be used for transplant. There have been legal opposition to the recognition of brain-death as legal death and organs are not legally or routinely procured from heart-beating brain-dead patients as they are elsewhere. Family, physicians, religious scholars, patients and other differ in opinions about whether it is permitted to take a body part from the dead, whether it is a safe ...

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3. Kuramitsu K, Egawa H, Keeffe EB, et al. Impact of age older than 60 years in living donor liver transplantation [published corrected appears in Transplantation. 2007; 84(12):1712. Transplantation. 2007; 84(2):166-172.

4. El-Meteini M, Fayez M, Abdalaal A, et al. Living related liver transplantation in Egypt: an emerging program. Transplant Proc. 2003; 35(7):2783-2786.

5. Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), Humanitarian News and Analysis: A Project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Egypt: Poverty Pushes Poor Egyptians to Sell their Organs

6. Organ Transplant Legislation: From Trade to Donation. Egyptian initiative for personal rights.

7. The Protection Project, Mohamed Mattar, Egypt Establishing a National Committee to

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