Marking World Organ Donation Day, DoH celebrates 2,100+ transplants since launch of Hayat programme

The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has marked World Organ Donation Day by celebrating the life-changing impact of organ donation on 2,150 patients who have benefited from organ transplants performed in Abu Dhabi since the launch of Hayat – the National Programme for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue – in 2017 and through June 2026, giving them new opportunities for life and improving their health and quality of life.

Since the launch of the programme, the emirate has been recognised for leading complex UAE and region-first procedures and consistently delivering transplant success rates that match the highest international benchmarks, reinforcing its position as a world-leading destination for healthcare and medical excellence.

In 2025 alone, 631 transplant procedures were performed across the emirate, compared to 290 procedures in 2024, representing an increase of approximately 118 per cent. This milestone reflects the strength of Abu Dhabi’s integrated transplant ecosystem, which brings together advanced infrastructure, state-of-the-art facilities, top-tier medical talent, pioneering innovation, and international collaboration to deliver highly specialised transplant care.

His Excellency Dr Rashed Alsuwaidi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, said: “Behind every transplant is a person waiting for a new chance at life, a family holding on to hope, and an organ donor whose extraordinary generosity has given others the gift of life and the hope of a healthier future. We continue to strengthen the emirate’s integrated transplant ecosystem by delivering the highest standards of care, harnessing the latest technologies and bringing together world-class expertise to serve our community and improve patients’ quality of life.”

Every transplant begins with the extraordinary decision to become an organ donor. Through the Hayat programme, DoH encourages members of the community to register as an organ donors, representing a profound act of humanity that has the power to transform multiple lives, give hope to families and help build a healthier, more resilient future for the nation.

At the heart of the emirate’s integrated transplant ecosystem is the Centre of Excellence for Adult Multi-Organ Transplants at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, designated as a Centre of Excellence by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH). As the UAE’s first multi-organ transplant centre, it continues to deliver the country’s only heart and lung transplant programme, alongside a dedicated transplant intensive care unit, reinforcing its pivotal role in advancing transplant medicine across the UAE. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has also become one of only five centres worldwide to successfully perform a robotic lung transplant, marking the first procedure of its kind in the UAE, in addition to performing the nation’s first combined heart and double-lung transplant.

SEHA Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Burjeel Medical City and Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City also contribute specialised expertise that strengthens Abu Dhabi’s integrated transplant ecosystem and expands the emirate’s capabilities in delivering highly specialised transplant care.

Supporting the continued evolution of Abu Dhabi’s integrated transplant ecosystem, DoH has established strategic partnerships with global leaders over the years, to strengthen clinical excellence, share international best practices and advance new initiatives such as tissue donation and donation after circulatory death (DCD). These collaborations include working with Spain’s Donation and Transplantation Institute (DTI) to strengthen deceased donation programmes and enhance liver transplantation through clinical audits, as well as partnering with leading U.S. transplant programmes and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to further advance kidney transplantation standards.

Beyond capability building, DoH also promotes organ exchange programmes with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, with the three countries having already shared more than 550 organs, helping save the lives of patients with complex medical conditions.

Organ transplantation is a life-saving intervention for patients living with critical conditions, including heart disease, lung failure, liver cirrhosis, kidney failure and certain cancers, offering hope when transplantation is the only viable treatment option.

The National Programme for Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, Hayat, serves as a world-class framework to advance and regulate organ transplantation. By aligning with top international standards, Hayat is dedicated to enhancing patient care, safeguarding community well-being and elevating the overall quality of life across the community.

On World Organ Donation Day, the DoH extends its deepest appreciation to donor families whose generosity creates a lasting legacy of hope, to hospitals and healthcare teams whose professionalism and commitment make transplantation possible, and to the Hayat programme and its partners for continuing to nurture a culture of giving and excellence in organ donation and transplantation throughout the nation.