Ghana Hits Milestone in Effort to Legalize Organ Donation
Advocacy efforts in Ghana mark a significant milestone in advancing organ and tissue donation laws with newly drafted country policy.
On World Organ Donation Day, Ghana marked a significant milestone in advancing organ and tissue transplantation when the Ministry of Health officially recently launched the process to develop a National Human Tissue and Organ Transplantation Policy. This achievement follows several years of sustained advocacy and collaboration by key stakeholders committed to strengthening transplant services in the country.
The inaugural meeting brought together senior Ministry officials, including Mr. Desmond Boateng, Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, and Dr. Belinda Nimako, Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME), alongside members of the Cornea Working Group and the Cure Blindness Project Ghana team.
Developing a national policy is a critical step toward establishing an enabling framework for organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Ghana. It is expected to pave the way for an eye bank, strengthen the country’s capacity to meet the growing demand for corneal tissue, and expand access to sight-restoring corneal transplantation for patients across the country.
Reflecting on the significance of this milestone, Dr. Kojo Amoah, Chairman of the Cornea Working Group, said:
As the policy development process moves forward, stakeholders remain optimistic that a strong national framework will accelerate the growth of transplant services and create new opportunities to restore sight and improve lives for countless Ghanaians.
