A new initiative aimed at increasing the number of Black Americans registered as organ donors and combating disparities among transplant recipients was announced Thursday by a coalition that includes the four medical schools at the nation's historically Black colleges and universities.
The collaboration follows a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report, "Realizing the Promise of Equity in the Organ Transplantation System," that found significant disparities in the nation's organ transplant system. It was released earlier this year and commissioned by Congress, which wanted to examine equity within the donor organ procurement, allocation and distribution system.
The initiative — which was created by the Consortium of HBCU Medical Schools, the Organ Donation Advocacy Group and Association of Organ Procurement Organizations — plans to create new opportunities for Black medical and nursing students to shadow organ procurement organizations and transplant centers and collaborate with partner HBCUs that offer programs in nursing, public health, public policy and health care administration. The initiative announcement was shared with The Associated Press first.
The HBCU consortium behind the initiative includes the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences in Los Angeles, Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.
