REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON PEACE – WORK – FATHERLAND
LAW No. 2025/009 OF 15 JUL 2025
RELATING TO THE DONATION, REMOVAL AND TRANSPLANTATION OF HUMAN BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL IN CAMEROON
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The Parliament deliberated and adopted, the President of the Republic hereby enacts the law set out below:
PRESIDENCE DE LA REPUBLIQUE PRESIDENCY OF THE REPUBLIC SECRETARIAT GENERAL SERVICE DU FICHIER LEGALIEN ET REGLEMENTAIRE SERVICE CERTIFIÉE CONFORME CERTIFIED TRUE COPY
# CHAPTER I ## GENERAL PROVISIONS
SECTION 1:
(1) This law relates to the donation, removal and transplantation of human biological material in Cameroon.
(2) It lays down the principles and rules applicable to the donation, removal, biobank, transplantation and destruction of human biological material.
SECTION 2:
The following shall be governed by special instruments: - blood donation, its components and derivatives; - transfer and preservation of gametes and embryos; - donation, auto-transplantation and transplantation for research purposes.
SECTION 3:
Within the meaning of this law and its subsequent implementing instruments, the following definitions shall apply:
Biobank: authorized facility for the preservation and management of human biological samples and related data.
Cell: morphological and functional unit of every living being.
Stem cell: undifferentiated cell with the ability to self-renew, multiply endlessly and create specialized human cells.
Haematopoietic stem cell: primitive cell accounting for only a tiny fraction of the haematopoietic tissue that generates all of the body's blood cell lines.
Accredited centre: public or private health facility authorized by the State to remove, preserve, store or transplant human biological material.
Conditioning: all activities related to the preparation, preservation, storage and transfer of human biological material for therapeutic, diagnostic or scientific research purposes.
Free and informed consent: voluntary, informed and written consent of an individual who has been properly informed of their rights, the type of surgery and the related risks, and who agrees to undergo the removal or transplantation of human biological material.
Preservation: technic used to keep human biological material viable before they are used.
Death: permanent and irreversible loss of consciousness and brainstem functions, resulting from prolonged cardiorespiratory arrest that prevents oxygenation of the body.
Donation: voluntary and free act of donating human biological material for therapeutic use.
Donor: a living person who, either before their death or during their lifetime, decides to donate their human biological material free of charge to a patient for therapeutic use.
Transplantation: medical or surgical procedure involving the replacement of unhealthy biological material in a patient with healthy biological material from another person.
Human biological material: substances from the human body, such as cells, tissues or organs.
Brain death: irreversible loss of brain and brainstem functions, characterized by coma, loss of spontaneous breathing and brainstem reflexes.
Organ: distinct part of the human body made up of various tissues.
Removal: medical or surgical process of extracting human biological material from a living or deceased person.
Recipient: patient who receives human biological material.
Storage: preservation of removed human biological material under controlled and appropriate conditions until it is used.