Reducing health inequalities in live organ donation - Dr Sunil Daga
Dr Sunil Daga (UKODTRN Executive Committee member) shares his research story
Sunil says demand for dialysis will increase 400% in the next ten years. It is costly to the taxpayer, to the environment, and to patients themselves.
Living kidney donor transplants offer the best outcomes for those facing kidney failure, but there is a shortage of donors, meaning people can wait up to three and a half years for a deceased donor transplant.
Sunil has been researching the barriers to living kidney donation, and says those of South Asian or Black ethnicity are five to ten times at higher risk of kidney disease.
Despite this, studies show that male, white, middle-class patients and individuals with higher education and income are more likely to get a living kidney donor.
He looked into this by firstly interviewing health professionals, then by interviewing patients about their views.
We will shortly be sharing a plain language summary of this research on our website.