by TINTSWALO BALOYIJOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE Wits University Liver Transplant Programme has achieved its 1,000th liver transplant, marking a significant milestone for South African healthcare and reinforcing its position as one of Africa’s leading transplant centres. Since performing its first liver transplant in 2004, it has completed 637 adult and 363 paediatric procedures. Over the past two decades, the programme has pioneered several advances in liver transplantation, including living donor transplants for adults and children, split liver transplantation, ABO-incompatible transplantation, HIV-positive donor liver transplantation and monosegment liver transplantation. Most recently, it introduced liver machine perfusion technology, helping to preserve donor organs and maximise their use amid persistent shortages. Despite the achievement, the programme says South Africa continues to face a critical shortage of donor organs, leaving many patients waiting for life-saving transplants.