The UK's Asian population: solving the transplant crisis

Abstract

The United Kingdom Transplant Authority has recently re-introduced a policy to identify the ethnicity of patients. This is in response to the realisation byTransplant Co-ordinators and other health professionals in the field that a number of disparities existed between Asian residents and the indigenous population. The limited data that exists highlights that the Asian population are in a disproportionately greater need of kidney transplants. The situation is clear, there needs to be a greater number of donors coming forward from the Asian communities to increase the pool of suitable organs. However, this may only be achieved if we understand the reasons for the current lack of supply. Very little empirical research has been devoted to this subject and those studies, which have been carried out, highlight the need for greater attention to this life-threatening problem.