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Argentina · INCUCAI · Ley 27.447 "Justina"
Donate in Argentina
Argentina has operated under a presumed donor system since 2018. It is one of three WHO/PAHO collaborating centers for donation and transplantation worldwide
May 2026 was the best month in history: 109 donors who made 228 organ transplants and 139 corneas possible
Argentina's key figures
2024 rate
17.7 pmp
all-time record (Ministerio de Salud)
May 2026
109
donors in one month — all-time record
May 2026
228
organ transplants in one month
Jan–May 2026
+13.6%
donation processes vs same period 2025
Source: INCUCAI · Ministerio de Salud de la Nación Argentina
The public system
How donation works in Argentina
Governing body and law
The INCUCAI (Instituto Nacional Central Único Coordinador de Ablación e Implante) has coordinated the Argentine system since 1977 and has been a WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center since 2017. The Ley 27.447 "Justina", in force since August 2018, establishes the presumed donor model: every capable person over 18 is a donor unless they have expressed opposition during their lifetime.
In practice, before proceeding, a family interview is conducted in which the family can present the express declaration of opposition if one exists. That is why it is important that your family knows your wishes.
How to express your wishes
- 1
If you want to be a donor: you do not need to do any paperwork — the law presumes your positive will
- 2
If you want not to be a donor: express it in the National Donor Registry through the Mi Argentina app or at any INCUCAI office
- 3
In both cases, share your decision with your family — the family interview remains decisive
- 4
The national system assigns the organ according to objective medical criteria (compatibility, urgency, time on the waiting list)
Living donation
Living kidney donation
Argentina was a regional pioneer in the Crossed Kidney Donation Procedure, incorporated by the Ley Justina
Donor requirements
- Over 18 years of age, legal capacity
- Relatives, spouse, partner, or "affectively linked"
- Medically, psychologically and socially suitable
- If you are not compatible with your recipient: the Crossed Kidney Donation Procedure pairs you with another incompatible pair for exchange
Coverage and protection
- 100% coverage by the public system (INCUCAI guarantees free of charge)
- Labor Contract Law Art. 183: paid leave and job stability
- Comprehensive Protection System: medication coverage, preferential job placement
- Any financial compensation is prohibited
Main centers
Hospitals with consolidated programs and high activity in Argentina
Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires
Ciudad de Buenos Aires · Consolidated Renal Transplant Section · Nephrology fellowship program
Hospital General de Agudos "Dr. Cosme Argerich"
Ciudad de Buenos Aires · Kidney and liver transplant program · Pioneer in perfusion machine use (2023)
Fundación Favaloro
Ciudad de Buenos Aires · High-complexity university hospital with cardiac, renal and liver programs
Hospital Nacional Bicentenario Esteban Echeverría
Provincia de Buenos Aires · National leader in May 2026 with 11 completed donations
Hospital Ángel Cruz Padilla
Tucumán · 5 donors in May 2026 · Reference center for the NOA region
The story that changed the law
Justina Lo Cane
"We are achieving what Justina asked for, helping everyone we can" — Ezequiel Lo Cane, Justina's father, November 2018
Justina was 12 years old when she passed away on November 22, 2017 at Fundación Favaloro waiting for a heart. Her father, Ezequiel Lo Cane, had received a kidney transplant in 2016 — and donated Justina's organs at the time of her passing. The campaign led to the Ley 27.447 "Justina", in force since August 2018, which multiplied the Argentine donation rate by ~2.5 in 5 years
INCUCAI testimonials
"And today I am here" — transplant patients tell their stories
Express your wishes
Argentina presumes your willingness to donate, but the best way to ensure it is to talk about it with your family. You can also explore the stories of people who have lived through the process
Verified sources
This page summarizes public information from INCUCAI and Ley 27.447. Medical and legal decisions are yours and your healthcare team's