António Norton de Matos: the surgeon who made history in Cape Verde
It's official and historic: the first kidney transplant carried out on Cape Verdean soil has ended successfully. At a press conference held on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 24, 2026, shortly after the surgery was completed at the Agostinho Neto University Hospital (HUAN), the hospital's CEO, Dr. Evandro Monteiro, informed the country that the intervention was successful, marking a turning point for the National Health System.
The medical team confirmed that the procedure went without complications. At the moment, both the donor and the recipient are stable and recovering from anesthesia, under close supervision.
A selfless act that opens doors to hope
The HAN nephrologist, Dr. Hélder Tavares, stressed that this historic milestone was made possible thanks to the "altruistic act" of a sister who decided to donate a kidney to her brother. According to the clinical data shared, the situation of both is stable and progressing positively. Although the donor should be discharged from hospital first, the recipient will remain under medical care for longer, according to standard protocol, but both are doing well.
This technical success represents a light at the end of the tunnel for the more than 500 patients who depend on hemodialysis in Cape Verde. With this victorious precedent, national transplantation is no longer a promise, but a real solution, offering hundreds of patients the hope of regaining their autonomy and quality of life.
