Informing the UK's South Asian communities on organ donation and transplantation

There is a growing demand for human organs for transplantation, particularly of the kidney among the UK's South Asian population which, due to problems with histocompatibility can only be met with a significant increase in the number of Asian donors. Specific attempts have only recently been made to attract donors from South Asian communities using 'ethnically-targeted mass media'. A recent pilot study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of these initiatives in providing information with regards to organ donation for the South Asian population. The findings show that detailed information related to transplantation activity had been learned only through the experience of people undergoing transplants within the community and has been transmitted through various informal networks rather than through the resources provided by the Department of Health. This paper provides an overview of who the South Asians are and how these community networks were established.