Ulaanbaatar, January 21, 2026 /MONTSAME/. Mongolia has successfully performed a blood stem cell transplant on a child suffering from blood cancer, marking a new milestone in the country’s healthcare sector.

Initiated by the Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Center of the First Central Hospital, the procedure was carried out in collaboration with the National Center for Maternal and Child Health and a Turkish Hospital, with the support of the international organization TIKA.

To date, the Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Center at the First Central Hospital has successfully performed stem cell transplants on 36 blood cancer patients. A 15-year-old patient, Michidmaa, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of five, underwent treatment for nine years, with multiple relapses. Following the transplant, she is now recovering well.    

In recent years, the cases of blood cancer have been increasing, with 150-200 cases reported annually, of which 50-60 involve children. Stem cell transplantation performed abroad costs approximately MNT 350-500 million. Successfully carrying out this high-cost treatment domestically has significantly reduced patients’ financial burden and enabled them to receive high-quality cancer treatment in their home country.  

Experts emphasized that this achievement represents an important step in the development of Mongolia's healthcare sector, particularly in elevating the capacity of pediatric hematology and oncology services to a new level.

Minister of Health, Chinburen Jigjidsuren, said, “The Health Insurance Fund currently covers MNT 70 million for blood stem cell transplant treatment. However, the medical team that performed the transplant reported that the actual cost exceeds MNT120 million.  Therefore, it is necessary to review the treatment cost and seek a decision from the National Council for Health Insurance to increase the reimbursement. “

Head of the Blood Stem Cell Transplant Team, Dr. Oyundelger N. stated, “This is a day we doctors have been waiting for. Together with the doctors from the National Center for Maternal and Child Health, we performed the first stem cell transplant on a child in Mongolia. Today, after Turkish doctors arrived in the country, we are reporting to the public one month after the surgery. The patient had been suffering from leukemia for 10 years. I was proud to see the test results last Friday – today, all of her blood cell indicators have returned to levels seen in a healthy person.”

Physician at the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Center of the First Central Hospital, Khishigjargal B., said that Turkey’s Medical Park Hospital is well-known for pediatric stem cell transplantation. “When we visited the hospital and became acquainted with its operations, around 10 children from Mongolia were receiving stem cell transplant treatment there. Following discussions, we proposed cooperation to carry out this type of surgery in Mongolia, and we have now successfully performed it domestically. We have created the conditions to carry out this high-cost surgery in Mongolia at MNT120–130 million”.

According to the National Center for Maternal and Child Health (NCMCH), an average of about 100 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in Mongolia, the majority of whom suffer from blood cancers.

In addition, the successful introduction of CD34 stem cell counting using flow cytometry domestically has made it possible to directly use and cryopreserve stem cells for treatment, bringing pediatric blood cancer diagnosis and treatment in Mongolia to a new level.