Health Ministry Plans to Expand Living Kidney Donor Pool by Up to 50%

The Ministry of Health and Population is aiming to expand the pool of living kidney donors by up to 50% as part of a new strategy to increase access to transplants and reduce waiting times.

The plan includes studying a paired kidney exchange programme, under which incompatible donor-recipient pairs can be matched with other pairs so that each recipient receives a compatible kidney.

Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar discussed the strategy with Ahmed Halawa, head of organ transplantation at the University of Sheffield, and members of the Supreme Committee for Organ Transplantation. Egyptian-British heart surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub joined the meeting by video conference.

The strategy also looks at widening transplant eligibility through modern protocols for patients and donors with incompatible blood groups or tissue types, using treatments designed to reduce the risk of rejection.

Other measures include expanding minimally invasive laparoscopic procedures, strengthening transplant centres and tissue-typing laboratories, and providing specialised training for medical teams.

Donor safety is set to remain a central part of the programme, with long-term medical follow-up planned alongside clearer clinical and ethical frameworks for transplantation.

The Health Ministry said the proposal reflects discussions within the Organ Transplant Advisory Council and forms part of wider efforts to expand specialised healthcare services nationwide.