Ulaanbaatar
Funding Resolved for Establishment of Histocompatibility Laboratory
Society
Ulaanbaatar, January 3, 2026 /MONTSAME/. Prime Minister Zandanshatar Gombojav visited the Cell, Tissue, and Organ Transplantation Center on January 2, 2026, where he announced the allocation of MNT 2.02 billion for the establishment of a new Histocompatibility (Tissue Matching) Laboratory.
A Histocompatibility Laboratory plays a critical role in
organ transplantation by testing the compatibility between donor and patient
tissues. This process allows medical professionals to assess matching accuracy,
predict potential post-operative complications, and evaluate the overall
effectiveness of the treatment. Furthermore, the laboratory's equipment will
serve a dual purpose in cancer diagnosis and treatment, helping in the early
detection of tumors at the genetic level.
With the establishment of this laboratory, the State Second General Hospital will be able to perform in-house tissue matching for liver and kidney transplants starting this year. This development is a major step toward reducing the long waiting lists for organ transplant surgeries nationwide.
The hospital had originally planned to perform 10 liver transplants and five kidney transplants this year. With the establishment of the laboratory, the hospital will be able to increase the number of surgeries.
Currently, kidney disease ranks first among patients on
organ transplant waiting lists in Mongolia. Out of 1,094 patients currently
waiting for transplants, 683 require kidney transplants, and 182 require liver
transplants. According to a 2023 report by the Coordination Department for
Cell, Tissue, and Organ Transplantation, more than 250 people are diagnosed
annually as requiring kidney transplants and are subsequently added to the
waiting list.
A joint assessment report by the Ministry of Health and the
World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that between 100,000 and 120,000
people in Mongolia may be living with some form of chronic kidney disease.
Approximately 1,300 to 1,500 people begin hemodialysis treatment each year,
while 1,000 to 1,200 are newly diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. About 60
percent of citizens with chronic kidney failure eventually require either
hemodialysis or a kidney transplant.
Medical professionals emphasized that the rising number of chronic kidney failure cases and the stagnant mortality rate underscore the urgent need to increase the accessibility of organ transplant treatments.
