|
CRITICAL NEED IN THE MINORITY COMMUNITY Minorities represent 50 percent of the more than 100,000 patients currently awaiting transplants, yet they represent only about 25 percent of those donating organs. The risk of end-stage kidney disease for some minorities (African American, Hispanics, and Native American) is three to four times higher than for the Caucasian population. Blacks and other minorities are hard hit by hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disorders... diseases which lead to organ failure. In fact, of the 76,680 people nationwide waiting for kidneys, 28,671 are African American (35%), 16,793 are Hispanic (18%), and 6,501 are Asian (7%). (2008) Also, African-Americans and Hispanics between the ages of 45 and 65 have twice as much diabetes as do Caucasians in this age group. 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 white population. A breakdown by race in 2008 shows that deceased donations are overwhelmingly from the white population (67%). The black population accounts for 15.6%; Hispanic, 14%; and Asian, 2.4%. It's critical to increase the availability of minority donors, in order to save lives within those communities. Fact is 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 pancreases available for minority recipients. |
community
