Charities and organisations including Anthony Nolan, the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, the National Kidney Federation, NHS Blood and Transplant and the South Asian Health Foundation have been brought together to increase donor numbers in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) populations. The new group, the National BAME Transplant Alliance, will bring together people and organisations with in-depth knowledge of their communities to address the problem of low donor and transplant rates.
Every year, 180 people from these ethnic groups die waiting for a transplant because of a chronic shortage of suitable organs. TV personality Alesha Dixon and Homeland star David Harewood are joining forces with other celebrities including soul singer Beverley Knight and Bond film star Colin Salmon to back the campaign for more donors.
Alesha Dixon said: “I am honoured that I have been asked to be a Donor Ambassador. Black and Asian people are dying because there are not enough people from our communities coming forward as stem cell or organ donors. We can change this.”
David Harewood said: “as a stem cell donor, I know how important it is to for people from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds to come forward and sign up to donate their blood, organs and stem cells. By becoming a donor, you have the potential not only to save someone’s life, but to change the lives of their friends and family too.”
People from BAME communities are three times more likely to need an organ transplant than the rest of the population – but under two per cent have recorded their wishes on the NHS Organ Donor Register; and while around 90 per cent of white patients in need of a bone marrow transplant may find a match, for the BAME population the matching rates can be as low as 40 per cent.
The National BAME Transplant Alliance members are working to raise awareness of current inequalities and promote the importance of donation. They will also support other charities and give them advice on how to get the message across. The ultimate goal is to save more lives.
As part of broader plans to improve stem cell transplant services, an extra £4 million will be made available by the Department of Health in the coming year. A substantial part of this will be geared towards increasing stem cell donation from black and minority ethnic communities.
Public Health Minister Anne Milton said: “giving an organ or bone marrow is a chance to save someone’s life. It is tragic that nearly 200 people from Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority backgrounds die each year waiting for an organ. With the backing of stars like Alesha Dixon and David Harewood, we want potential donors to come forward and show they are lifesavers.”