Organ Donation in Tunisia: A Major Health and Humanitarian Issue
Organ donation in Tunisia remains one of the major health and humanitarian issues that requires increased efforts from various stakeholders. Despite progress made in recent years, societal awareness of organ donation remains limited, and transplantation rates are still below the level required to meet the growing needs of patients.
Dr. Mohamed Fagraoui, a coordinating physician at the National Center for the Promotion of Organ Transplantation (CNPTO), stated in an interview with Mosaïque that organ donation in Tunisia is still considered a taboo subject by some citizens. Many people hesitate to discuss or address the details, even though there has been significant improvement in this area in recent years.
Dr. Fagraoui indicated that progress is slow, considering the number of operations performed, which is significantly lower than the number of patients in need. He emphasized that the Center is working to intensify awareness campaigns and encourage Tunisian families to contribute knowingly to this humanitarian effort.
Mr. Fagraoui added that the CNPTO faces difficulties in convincing some families to accept donation when a person is in a state of brain death, as family members often ignore the deceased person's position on donation during their lifetime. This makes decision-making difficult in times of mourning.
That's why Dr. Fagraoui encourages citizens to declare their prior intention to make a donation and to add the mention "donor" to their national identity card, especially since the law governing this has existed since 1999.
Despite more than two decades since the promulgation of this law, the number of registered donors has not exceeded 13,000 people until 2020, which is a very low percentage compared to the total population.
However, this figure has increased to reach around 15,000 donors today, thanks to awareness campaigns conducted by the Center, which aims to reach one million donors in the coming years.
Dr. Fagraoui recalled that the CNPTO organizes annual awareness events on the occasion of World Organ Donation Awareness Day, corresponding to October 17. During these events, in collaboration with the technical police, citizens can directly register the mention "donor" on their national identity card.
Some of these campaigns have achieved unprecedented numbers, with the Center succeeding in registering between 150 and 200 new donors in a single day, according to CNPTO statistics.
On the religious level, Dr. Fagraoui affirms that organ donation is not incompatible with Islamic teachings, but rather aligns with its objectives of saving lives and spreading compassion.
Our interlocutor indicates that the Center works in coordination with the Ministry of Religious Affairs to involve imams and preachers in raising awareness about the importance of donation, emphasizing that many religious leaders have confirmed the legitimacy of this noble act.
The coordinating physician of the CNPTO adds: "We encourage citizens to consult imams on this subject because we are convinced that religion calls for the preservation of life, and the more people are convinced on religious and ethical grounds, the more they will be willing to give."
On the other hand, the same statistics reveal the extent of the growing need for organs in Tunisia: the number of patients registered on waiting lists is around 1,700 patients. Among them, nearly 1,600 are waiting for a kidney transplant, while around 50 patients are waiting for a heart transplant and 50 others for a liver transplant.
In addition, more than 14,000 Tunisians are undergoing dialysis, and about 30% of them urgently need a kidney transplant to improve their quality of life and save them from continuous suffering.
Despite efforts, the number of transplantations from brain-dead donors remains limited: only 29 operations were performed until October 2025, compared to 23 in 2024 and 42 in 2023.
The number of brain death cases whose organs are harvested annually is between 10 and 20 cases only, a very low figure compared to the strong demand.
Dr. Fagraoui confirms that the road is still long, but the indicators are positive, explaining that every step towards better awareness represents a new life offered to a patient waiting for hope. He concludes by saying: "Every citizen who chooses to be a donor gives a chance to live to another person. We are moving towards the better, and we hope that one day organ donation will become an established culture in Tunisian society, and a symbol of human solidarity."
