Glenis Willmott, Labour MEP, has raised the issue of organ shortage in the European Parliament: "A few people with rare tissue types may only be able to receive a well-matched organ from someone of the same ethnic origin, so it is important that people from all ethnic backgrounds donate organs. Successful transplants are carried out between people from different ethnic groups wherever the matching criteria are met."
The European Parliament will vote today on a report by the Committee for Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, which identifies organ shortage as a common problem in all European countries. However, the report highlights especially the need for ethnic minority organ donors to come forward.
Glenis Willmott MEP said: "People from South Asian, African and African-Caribbean communities living in the UK have a greater chance of needing a kidney transplant than other groups in the population. This is because they are more likely to develop diabetes or high blood pressure, both of which are major causes of kidney failure."
MEPs are also addressing a wide range of issues, including a European donor card, to tackle problems like organ shortage, transplantation safety and organ trafficking.
Notes to editors:
- The full report in available from https://webmail.europarl.europa.eu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML%2BREPORT%2BA6-2008-0090%2B0%2BDOC%2BPDF%2BV0//EN%26language=EN
- In early 2007 the WHO outlined the need for international guidelines to halt transplant tourism.
- In the UK between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007:
- 3,086 organ transplants were carried out, thanks to the generosity of 1,495 donors.
- 949 lives were saved in the UK through a heart, lung, liver or combined heart/lung, liver/kidney, liver/pancreas or heart/kidney transplant.
For more information please call the European Parliamentary Labour Party press officer, Silke Thomson on +32 479 790 053.
