NHS appeals for Asian donors to reduce kidney transplant waiting times

ASIAN patients in the UK face longer waits for kidney transplants due to a shortage of donors from the same ethnic background, new figures revealed.

Around 1,400 people of Asian heritage are currently on the organ transplant waiting list, the highest figure in a decade, data from NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT)showed.

Of these, more than 1,200 are waiting for a kidney. People from south Asian backgrounds are at greater risk of developing kidney failure than other ethnic groups, according to a statement.

Because the best organ matches usually come from donors with the same ethnic background, the health authority is calling on more people from Asian communities to register their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register and talk to their families about it. The appeal comes during the ongoing South Asian Heritage Month, which runs from July 18 to August 17.

Anthony Clarkson, NHSBT’s director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation, said there had been a positive increase in registrations from Asian people in recent years, but more are needed. “Of those that reported their ethnicity, just over 8,000 Asian people registered their decision to donate in 2023/24. However, we need this trend to continue to help save more lives,” he said.

Four out of five organs transplanted into Asian heritage patients currently come from white donors. While these can still be successful, the wait for a well-matched organ is usually longer without donors from the same background.

Living kidney donation is another option. A family member, friend or even an unrelated volunteer can give one of their kidneys to someone in need. People can live a healthy life with one kidney, and transplants from living donors generally have better long-term outcomes.

NHSBT informed that patient survival after 10 years is around 90 per cent with a kidney from a living donor, compared to 75 per cent for a kidney from a deceased donor.

Kidney donor Azeem Ahmad, 39, from Newcastle, donated to a patient he did not know in 2019. “I knew there was a massive underrepresentation of Asian transplant donors, so when I heard about an appeal for kidney donors it triggered something in me to go for it,” he said. “I would never do anything that would put me at risk and the more I researched, the more sense it made. It was a logical decision to save someone’s life.”

He said it was important for families to talk openly about organ donation. “I know my parents’ wishes about organ donation when they pass away, and they know mine, and that’s comforting to me.”

Jasvir Singh CBE, co-founder of the South Asian Heritage Trust, said: “Far too many lives are lost waiting for a suitable match, and that can change if more people come forward. By becoming organ donors, we create new routes to hope, healing and life for others.”

NHSBT is encouraging anyone planning to donate to register their decision and make sure their families are aware of it.

For details visit - www.organdonation.nhs.uk, call 0300 123 23 23 or use the NHS app.