July 28, 2011
National Minority Donor Awareness Day Observed August 1
UNOS, along with transplant organizations nationwide, honors the observance of National Minority Donor Awareness Day on August 1. African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander, Native American and multicultural organ donors are recognized on this date for their generosity.
In 2010, one-third of the nearly 8,000 deceased donors recovered in the U.S. were minorities. In addition, minority living donors represented 30 percent of the more than 6,500 living organ donors nationwide in 2010. Minority donation has increased substantially in recent years, and the donation rates by ethnic group largely reflect the percentage of each group in the overall U.S. population.
National Minority Donor Awareness Day, first recognized nationally in 1996, focuses on fears and obstacles related to minority organ donation. The event's objective is to promote healthier living and disease prevention, and to increase the number of people who have signed donor cards and informed their families of their wish to donate.
Organ, tissue, marrow, and blood donation can save and enhance the lives of people living with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, hepatitis, blood disorders, glaucoma, and other health conditions. These conditions disproportionately impact minorities. Currently, more than 111,000 people are listed for a transplant. Minorities account for 55 percent of people waiting for this life-saving gift. Since transplant candidates are more likely to find a genetically compatible match within their own racial/ethnic group, particularly for kidneys and bone marrow, increasing minority donation is critical to meet this growing need.
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