Rwanda to Begin Liver Transplants in 2027.

The development was announced on October 27, 2026, when King Faisal Hospital hosted a team of specialist surgeons from Türkiye’s Acıbadem Hospitals Group to discuss cooperation in introducing liver transplantation services in Rwanda. 

The planned service will expand the hospital’s transplant programme, which already includes kidney transplants introduced in May 2023. 

Dr Augustin Sendegeya, Director of Medical Services at King Faisal Hospital, said the number of patients in Rwanda who need liver transplants is increasing, while delays in accessing the procedure can put their lives at risk.

He explained that transplantation may be the only way to save a patient whose liver has been severely damaged and can no longer perform its essential functions. 

Sendegeya added that the high cost of seeking treatment abroad creates a major barrier for patients, making the introduction of liver transplants in Rwanda an important step towards improving access to care.

“We have welcomed specialists from Türkiye’s Acıbadem Hospitals Group. We will discuss how to introduce the new liver transplantation service. We will also collaborate on research and train doctors in kidney and liver transplantation,” he said.

He noted that Rwanda has already made progress in kidney transplantation, with about 115 patients having received the procedure at King Faisal Hospital. 

Prof. Hamdi Karakayali, a specialist in kidney and liver transplantation and a senior figure at Acıbadem Hospitals Group, said diseases affecting these organs are increasing worldwide, highlighting the need to strengthen treatment capacity. 

He described kidney transplantation as a highly effective treatment, saying success rates can reach 99% when procedures are performed by specialists.

Patients with damaged kidneys may also undergo haemodialysis, a treatment that uses a machine to filter the blood and perform some of the functions their kidneys can no longer carry out.

However, Karakayali said liver failure presents a greater challenge because no machine can fully replace the liver’s functions when the organ is severely damaged. 

“Liver diseases are very serious, and treating them is difficult. When the liver is severely damaged, transplantation may be necessary. Liver transplantation has a success rate of more than 90%,” he said.

Karakayali said that during his 33 years in transplantation medicine, he had participated in kidney transplants for about 3,500 patients and liver transplants for another 2,500. 

He said one of the most rewarding aspects of his work was seeing patients recover and continue with their lives, particularly children. 

“It makes me happy to see the people I have treated recover, especially children. It is rewarding to treat a child, see them continue living and going to school, and then meet them again years later when they have grown up and have a family,” he said.

Karakayali said securing voluntary organ donations remains one of the major challenges facing transplantation programmes worldwide. 

He stressed that organ donation requires more than medical expertise, as it must also comply with relevant laws and regulations to protect the rights and safety of both donors and recipients. 

In Türkiye, he said, progress has been made in living-donor transplantation. Of the 1,400 patients who undergo liver transplants there, about 80% receive organs from living donors. 

A living person can donate part of their liver because the organ has the ability to regenerate. A liver may also be donated by a deceased person, subject to the applicable legal and medical requirements.

Although both options are possible, Karakayali said the shortage of available donor organs remains a significant obstacle. 

“In Türkiye, as in other parts of the world, people willing to donate their organs so that others can receive them are still few,” he said.

The planned introduction of liver transplantation in Rwanda is expected to give patients access to specialised treatment closer to home, while cooperation with international experts will support research and the training of local medical professionals.