39,144 registered organ donors in the country… and 7 conditions for regulating advertising and promotion

The Ministry of Health and Community Protection has set seven conditions for advertising, advertising, promotion, or mediation, related to urging members of society to donate organs, their parts, or human tissues, during life or after death, subject to a prior license from the Ministry.

According to the Ministry’s latest statistics, which were reviewed by Emirates Today, the number of those registered in the National Program for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues, “Hayat,” has increased to 39,144 people, while the number of organ transplant operations performed from 2017 until now has exceeded 1,195 various operations, and the number of donors during the same period reached more than 397 donors, while about 4,000 patients are still on waiting lists.

In detail, the Ministry of Health and Community Protection issued Ministerial Resolution No. 26 of 2026 regarding controls on advertising, advertising, promotion or mediation related to operations to remove organs, their parts or human tissue or calling for them.

The decision, which was reviewed by Emirates Today, included seven requirements for advertising, advertisement, promotion, or mediation related to urging members of society to donate organs, their parts, or human tissues during life or after death, and they include that the content of advertising, advertising, promotion, and mediation be consistent with the religious, moral, and social values prevailing in society, and not be contrary to public order and morals, and that the content be limited to promoting the culture of donating organs, their parts, or human tissues, and encouraging community members to register in the system prepared for that, and that Publicity, advertising, promotion or mediation shall be in clear and understandable language.

The requirements included that the propaganda, advertisement, promotion or mediation should not include any religious information or legal fatwas about organ donation and transplantation that is not approved by the fatwa authority in the country, and that the formula of the propaganda, advertisement, promotion or mediation must confirm that organ donation is free of charge, and that it should not include phrases that indicate or suggest that it is in return or with a promise to do so, and that the formula of propaganda, advertisement, promotion or mediation for organ donation must not be misleading or exaggerated, or include incorrect or incorrect promises. Confirmed, and the advertising, advertising, promotion or mediation must not include health information that is unconfirmed or not issued by the National Centre.

The decision obligated those who advertise, advertise, promote, or mediate for the donation of organs, their parts, or human tissues to five prohibitions, including the use of advertising, advertising, promotion, or mediation for commercial purposes related to the removal of human organs or tissues, and the use by individuals of advertising, advertising, promotion, or mediation to donate organs, their parts, or human tissues in a personal capacity, and this can only be done through the national center or the health facility concerned.

The prohibitions also included indicating or insinuating that the donation of organs, their parts, or human tissues would be in exchange for a material or moral reward, or including indicating or insinuating a promise to do so, and that advertising, advertising, promotion, or mediation include any pictures, drawings, or signs that reveal the identity of previous donors or their families without their consent or in a way that offends any of them, and any other controls set by the National Center.

In a related context, the platform of the National Program for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues “Hayat” revealed that the number of those registered in the program has increased to 39,144 people, while the number of organ transplant operations since 2017 until now has reached more than 1,195 various operations.

According to the latest statistics, the number of donors since 2017 until now has reached more than 397 donors, while organ transplant operations since the beginning of 2024 have recorded more than 354 operations, with about 4,000 patients on waiting lists to obtain donors.

The “Hayat” program is one of the pivotal pillars of the health excellence system in the UAE, and reflects the remarkable development the country has achieved in the health care sector, which is witnessing a qualitative shift at various levels. The program works to consolidate community awareness of the importance of organ donation as a humanitarian act that gives patients a new lease of life, as part of the Ministry of Health’s initiatives aimed at enhancing community participation in national efforts aimed at improving the quality of life and supporting the health and safety of society.

The program contributes to enhancing the culture of organ donation during life or after death, with a focus on developing innovative solutions to raise the success rates of organ transplants and improve their outcomes for patients. The program also works to spread awareness of registration mechanisms in the system, in addition to clarifying the legislative and regulatory conditions and controls governing donation and transplantation operations in the country.