One of the great technological advances in medicine was the discovery that lives could be saved by using the tissue or organs of one person to replace that of another.  The success of human organ transplantation relies on the willingness of the public to donate their organs, either during their lifetime or after their death. However, the situation hasn’t been helped by general shortage of donated organs despite numerous campaigns. The situation amongst donors from Black Minority Ethnic (BME) communities is particularly acute, with demand far outstripping supply for some groups, especially those originating from Africa, Caribbean and South Asia.

Many people are now being considered for transplant than ever due to increasing effectiveness of transplantation but there is a serious shortage of donors especially from BME communities. As a result, for these people, it means waiting time, sometime for years, and undergoing difficult and stressful treatment. In most cases, it means they will die before a suitable organ becomes available.

BME Transplant Network is committed to increasing the number of donors from minority ethnic communities and save life or dramatically improving many more lives.

This section will explores types of transplanted organs such as kidney, liver, lung, heart and tissues such as cornea, heart valves, skin and bones. Kidney transplants are the most commonly performed.

Kidney

Heart

Lung

Liver

Cornea