Guyana, Brazil advance collaboration on organ donation and transplantation

Guyana’s efforts to strengthen its national transplant programme took a major step forward as Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, met with a high-level delegation from Brazil’s Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) on Monday. The meeting marked the start of the Prospective Mission on Organ Donation and Transplantation, being held from November 10–11, 2025, in Georgetown.

The visiting Brazilian team, which includes leading technical experts from the country’s National Transplant Programme, is conducting a rapid assessment of Guyana’s transplant system. The review will focus on identifying priority areas for collaboration, training, and system enhancement aimed at improving the country’s overall capacity to deliver advanced transplantation services.

During the discussions, Dr. Anthony emphasised the need to fast-track the establishment and operationalisation of Guyana’s Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Laboratory, a critical component of successful organ matching and transplantation. He also highlighted the importance of comprehensive staff training, the implementation of quality assurance protocols for HLA testing, and the strengthening of the entire transplant process—from organ retrieval to surgical transplantation and post-operative care.

Over the two-day mission, the Brazilian delegation will visit key medical institutions, including the Nephrology and Transplantation Departments and the Central Medical Laboratory at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). They will engage directly with local clinicians and health officials to define areas for technical cooperation and knowledge exchange.

Following the assessment, the visiting experts will develop a detailed Action Plan that outlines specific activities and timelines to close identified gaps within the national transplant system. Implementation of the plan is expected to begin immediately after the mission concludes.

Also attending today’s meeting were Her Excellency Maria Cristina de Castro Martins, Ambassador of Brazil to Guyana; Dr. Shanti Singh-Anthony, Chairperson of the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency (HOATTA); and Dr. Sondia Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of the HOATTA Secretariat.

The collaboration underscores Guyana’s continued commitment to advancing specialised healthcare services through international partnerships and capacity building.