Yucatán Tops Mexico in Organ Donation & Transplants

Yucatán, Mexico — Yucatán has been recognized as one of the five Mexican states with the strongest culture of organ donation and equitable access to transplants, according to the state’s Ministry of Health. The agency emphasized that the region ensures follow-up care for transplant recipients, including those who have lost their healthcare coverage due to official or personal circumstances.

Yucatán Leads in Renal Transplants

On World Transplant Patient Day, Judith Ortega Canto, head of the Yucatán Ministry of Health (SSY), reported that the state ranks fifth nationally in renal transplant rates, with 8.2 procedures per million inhabitants—surpassing states like Coahuila and Guanajuato.

The SSY also documented 15 cadaveric donations, including four from brain-dead donors and 11 from cardiac arrest cases. Nationally, Mexico City, Jalisco, and Nuevo León lead in organ transplants during the first quarter of 2025, based on federal health data.

Breakdown of Donations and Transplants

From January to March 2025, the Yucatán State Transplant Center (CEETRY) performed 19 kidney transplants, with 53% involving cadaveric donors—exceeding the national average of 35%. The remaining 47% came from living donors.

Yucatán also ranks fourth nationally in brain-death donations, with 1.7 donors per million inhabitants, nearly double the national rate of 0.9. These donations yielded:

• 10 kidneys
• 1 liver
• 29 corneas (8 from brain-death cases, 21 from cardiac arrest)
• 1 bone tissue shipment to Nuevo León
• 2 kidneys received from Cancún, Quintana Roo

Additionally, a liver was sent to Mexico City’s Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition.

Institutional Support and Technology

Jorge Martínez Ulloa Torres, director of CEETRY, stated that the center provides guarantees and support for patients through the SSY, including intensified follow-up care for those who lose healthcare coverage. The agency also ensures consistent access to immunosuppressant drugs, critical for transplant viability.

CEETRY employs advanced technology, such as a transcranial Doppler system, to expedite brain-death certification. A university-led campaign aims to identify at least 200 potential donors statewide.