National Minority Donor Awareness Day
On August 1, National Minority Donor Awareness Day focuses attention on the need for minority donors.The day is part of the awareness campaign of National Minority Donor Awareness Week.
The day highlights the need, especially among minorities, for more organ, eye, and tissue donors. Another focus of the day includes honoring minorities who have donated. While providing education, the day also encourages others to register as donors. At the same time, part of being informed includes practicing good health habits. The healthier the population, the few transplants are needed.
Within the African-American, Asian, Hispanic, Native American and Pacific Islander-American communities, there is a serious shortage of transplants. Minorities make up 57% of those on the organ waiting list. Due to chronic conditions, minority patients are at an increased need for transplants affecting the heart, kidney, pancreas, and liver.
Facilities take into consideration several factors when matching donors to recipients. However, blood type is the most critical component. Ethnic groups often have similar blood types. As a result, success rates increase when recipients are paired within the same ethnic or racial group. It’s necessary to know organ donation isn’t based on race or ethnicity. Anyone can donate because all organs can save a life.
For more information, see: http://organdonor.gov/awarenessweek/awarenessweek.html
HOW TO OBSERVE
Learn more about organ donation. While you’re reading up, consider joining a fundraiser or creating an event in your community. Find out more about the different types of donation and the technologies making a donation more successful. If you’re a donor or a recipient, share your success stories. Post on social media using #MinorityDonorAwarenessDay.
HISTORY
National Minority Donor Awareness Day is an observance that is paired with National Minority Donor Awareness Week.