Why girls are less likely to be put on transplant waiting lists than boys
The hidden inequalities children on transplant waiting lists face
- Academics at the University of Bristol identified significant inequalities in kidney transplant care for children in the UK, analyzing data from 1996 to 2020.
- The research found that Black children, those from more deprived backgrounds, and girls were less likely to be placed on the kidney transplant waiting list.
- Black children were 19 per cent less likely and children from the poorest backgrounds were 33 per cent less likely to be wait-listed compared to their white and wealthiest peers, respectively, while girls were 12 per cent less likely than boys.
- Although gender and income disparities reduced once children were on the waiting list, disadvantages for Black children persisted, including fewer living donor opportunities and lower odds of receiving a transplant.
- Experts from Kidney Care UK and NHS Blood and Transplant described the findings as shocking, highlighting the need to address systemic barriers and encourage more organ donations, especially from Black and Asian communities.