Minorities represent more than 50 percent of the over 96,000 patients currently awaiting transplants, yet they represent only 32 percent of those donating organs. (Source: www.unos.org 07/31/08)
The risk of end-stage kidney disease for some minorities is three to four times higher than for the Caucasian population. People of Hispanic, African, Asian, and Native American descent have a greater need for kidney transplants due to higher rates of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Because the minority population continues to grow (they now make up approximately 20% of the US population), the need for minority donation and transplantation can be anticipated to grow as well.
While the number of minorities waiting for a transplant continues to grow, minority organ donations lag behind those of the Caucasian population.
It's critical to increase the availability of minority donors, in order to save lives within those communities. The best matches between donors and recipients often lie between members of the same race. Currently, the lack of minority organ donors decreases the number of well-matched kidneys and pancreata available for minority recipients. |
