Cairo: Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar held discussions with Ahmed Halawa, Head of the Organ Transplantation Department at the University of Sheffield, and Tarek Fakhr, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Organ Transplantation, along with committee members. Sir Magdi Yacoub participated via videoconference, focusing on a strategy to expand the pool of living kidney donors.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the strategy aims to develop Egypt's kidney transplantation system and increase patients' access to transplants in line with the latest scientific evidence and international standards. The minister affirmed that the state prioritizes organ transplantation to alleviate the suffering of patients with kidney failure and reduce waiting times.

He emphasized the importance of removing obstacles, enhancing the efficiency of transplantation centers and medical teams, and adhering to donor safety requirements and scientific and ethical protocols. Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar stated that the strategy is based on a consensus reached by the Organ Transplantation Advisory Council and aims to increase the donor pool by up to 50 percent.

He added that discussions addressed streamlining procedures under clear clinical and ethical frameworks, establishing equitable exchange programs, and expanding kidney transplantation in cases involving tissue or blood-type incompatibility through modern protocols. They also covered the adoption of advanced surgical techniques, including laparoscopic procedures.

The spokesman noted that the minister stressed donor safety as a key priority, through a long-term medical follow-up program, training and upgrading medical teams, and enhancing the capabilities of tissue-compatibility laboratories and transplant centers to ensure the highest standards of quality and safety.