Minority ethnic communities face greater kidney health risks

Kidney failure is up to five times more common in people from minority ethnic backgrounds1, yet many face significant barriers to accessing appropriate care. Language barriers, cultural stigma, religious concerns, and mistrust in healthcare all contribute to poorer kidney health outcomes and lower rates of organ donation within communities.

With World Kidney Day on 14 March, Professor Shivani Sharma, whose work centres around making kidney healthcare more equitable, is calling for improved awareness of kidney health amongst diverse communities and urging people from all cultural backgrounds to think kidney health!

Professor Sharma says:
“Our research aims to highlight approaches to breaking down barriers, so that everyone, regardless of their background has equal opportunity to understand why the kidneys are important and to prevent ill health. With higher risk of kidney disease in people from certain ethnic backgrounds, it’s important that information and access to support is tailored. This includes mindset around organ donation. We also want to see care providers themselves join forces with other sectors to address the multiple factors that add to risk.”

Longer wait for transplants for ethnic communities
Around a third of people in the UK waiting for a kidney transplant are from minority ethnic groups, but their waiting time will be longer (approximately 2.5 year versus 2 years for white heritage patients). This is due to a shortage of donors. A suitable match is more likely with someone from the same ethnic group.

“Organ donor consent among all ethnic groups has been on the decline since 20202,” says Professor Sharma, “but it has declined most among ethnic groups, falling from 69% in 2020 to 61% last year. That’s especially concerning when you look at the number of ethnic people waiting for a kidney transplant. Transplants for many patients offer the best quality of life outcome. The shortage of donors considerably impacts health and well-being and adds cost burden to the health system.”

Why minority ethnic communities are at greater risk
Kidney disease disproportionately affects people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. There are many reasons for this higher occurrence of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure — both leading causes of kidney failure. However, access to early diagnosis and treatment is often delayed due to:

Language barriers – Many non-English speakers struggle to navigate the healthcare system or fully understand their diagnosis and treatment options.

Cultural stigma – In some communities, discussing serious illnesses is taboo, preventing people from seeking medical help and or approaching friends and family about the gift of organ donation.

Mistrust in healthcare – Historical inequalities and negative experiences create reluctance to engage with medical professionals.

Lack of awareness – Many at-risk individuals don’t realise they are more vulnerable to kidney disease.

Are your kidneys OK?
The World Kidney Day website includes a range of information to help explore the kidneys further. Kidney Research UK also offers a wealth of free information, including a health check tool, which is quick to complete.

Find out more about organ donation via the NHS website.