The federal parliament has approved a reform of the regulations governing living kidney donation. The draft bill, introduced by Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), passed Thursday with the support of the governing coalition and the Greens. The Left opposed the measure, while the AfD abstained.
According to the new law, living donor kidneys may now be exchanged between two or more unrelated pairs, allowing cross‑matching that was previously prohibited. Germany will also establish a national program for such cross‑donations, and the option of non‑directed anonymous kidney donation will be introduced. Measures have been added to strengthen the protection of living donors of organs and tissues.
Warken described the reform as “a day of hope” for everyone who relies on a life‑saving donor kidney, emphasizing that incompatibilities in blood groups or tissue markers should no longer prevent a close relative from receiving a donated kidney.