Parliament has approved government’s proposed penalty of life imprisonment for any person who sells or gets involved in any form of compensation for human organs, tissues, or cells.
This is part of the Uganda Human Organ Donation and Transplant Bill, 2021 that the House passed this morning.
It applies to the donation and transplantation of human organs, tissues, and cells including kidneys, heart, blood, lungs, liver, pancreas, intestines, bone marrow, Uterus and others.
Currently, Uganda does not have any law governing human organ donation and transplantation, which, according to the Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng is increasingly becoming an area of health care used to cure non-communicable diseases that are rising rapidly.
Parliament approved the recommendation by Health Committee Chairperson, Dr. Charles Ayume, that a person who contravenes this provision commits an offense and is also liable, on conviction, to life imprisonment. Dr. Ayume on human organs….
Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa said that the Bill will help Ugandans get organ transplants with well-prescribed guidelines and also protect vulnerable people. Tayebwa on bill….
Donation of organs by children over 18 years of age is only permitted under the new law with consent from parents. END.