[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E916-E917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CALLING ATTENTION TO THIS COUNTRY'S ORGAN DONATION CRISIS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2008

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to note--with alarm--that 
organ donations are not keeping pace with need in this country, 
resulting in the deaths of 18 patients per day as they wait idly by for 
lifelines. The shortage proves particularly detrimental to minority 
patients, who together make up a staggering 50 percent of people on the 
transplant waiting list. Because of a paucity of minority donors, and 
the bruising effect of disparate and unequal access to health care, 
minority patients find themselves most vulnerable to a deepening crisis 
that should rally all Americans to the cause.
  The health of our citizens should remain foremost on our minds. As 
the leading power

[[Page E917]]

and example in the world, this country should strive to carve out a 
premier health care system that works for everyone, not just the 
politically connected, not just the moneyed. For every American, we 
have safeguarded the promise of life, liberty, and happiness--and we 
ought to make good on that. We can have none of the three without 
adequate health care. This should be our national pride: to continually 
develop and improve upon our remarkable successes in medicine, to shape 
and mold a health care system that is the envy of the world.
  An April 22 New York CARIB News piece, titled ``Organ Donation A 
Crisis Among Minorities'' and written by Dr. Jennifer Wider, denotes 
these concerns and offers solutions.

                Organ Donation a Crisis Among Minorities

       The number of people needing organ transplants is rising 
     faster than the number of donors, according to statistics 
     from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 
     Roughly 77 people receive organ transplants per day in the 
     United States, but 18 people die each day waiting for 
     transplants that will never happen due to the shortage of 
     available organs.
       Organ transplantation involves putting organs or tissues 
     from one person into the body of another person, whose organs 
     or tissues have been damaged or are no longer working.
       ``The recipient has to be immunologically matched to the 
     donor well enough that the organ won't be immediately 
     rejected,'' says Mark Schnitzler, Ph.D., assistant professor 
     of health administration at Washington University School of 
     Medicine in St. Louis. ``Blood type match has to be 
     acceptable and the recipient can't be already sensitized to 
     the donor's tissue types.''
       The need for transplants is particularly high among 
     minorities, especially among African-Americans. Of the 83,000 
     people on the national transplant waiting list, approximately 
     fifty percent are minorities, according to United Network for 
     Organ Sharing.
       According to a recent study in the American Journal for 
     Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, David J. Lederer, M.D., 
     and colleagues at Columbia University College of Physicians 
     and Surgeons in New York found that, ``After listing for lung 
     transplantation, African-American patients with chronic 
     obstructive pulmonary disease were less likely to undergo 
     transplantation and more likely to die or be removed from the 
     list compared with Caucasian patients.'' Unequal access to 
     care is among the likely reasons Lederer and his team cited 
     for this disparity.
       Organ donation recipients are more likely to match up to 
     others of their own race and ethnicity. ``Both blood type and 
     tissue types have racial and ethnic patterns,'' Schnitzler 
     said. That is why it is important to look into ways to 
     increase minority organ donations.
       The need for more donor organs among minority women is 
     especially great because minority women suffer 
     disproportionately from certain diseases of the kidney, 
     heart, lung, pancreas, and liver that can lead to organ 
     failure.
       ``Minority women are well represented as a share of the 
     total population that donates organs, but their need for 
     transplants is greater,'' said Sherry Marts, Ph.D., vice 
     president of scientific affairs for the Society for Women's 
     Health Research, a Washington, D.C., based advocacy 
     organization. ``Because of a shortage of appropriate donor 
     organs, minority women often have to wait longer for doctors 
     to find a match. Sadly, many die waiting. With more donated 
     organs from minority women, finding a match will be quicker, 
     waiting times will be cut and more lives will be saved.''
       Further complicating matters are studies that show the 
     biological sex of the organ donor and recipient can affect 
     transplant success. At least one study has found that the 
     combinations least likely to result in organ rejection are 
     female recipient-male donor, followed by male recipient-male 
     donor.
       ``These findings have not yet affected clinical practice 
     because of the organ shortage,'' Marts said. ``Doctors can't 
     afford to wait for the most optimal donor-recipient 
     combination where the sex of the patients is concerned. They 
     have to make the best decisions possible with the limited 
     organs available. As organ preservation techniques improve, 
     however, this could become a factor.''
       Health promotion and disease prevention programs are needed 
     to shed light on the diseases and negative lifestyle choices 
     that may increase the need for organ transplants. Diseases 
     such as diabetes and hypertension and behaviors including 
     alcohol and substance abuse, poor nutrition and lack of 
     exercise are all risk factors for diseases that can cause 
     permanent or irreversible damage to organs and tissues.
       The Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program is 
     working to increase awareness for minority organ donation. 
     This program also provides information that is vital to good 
     health and can delay or prevent the need for organ 
     transplants. Here are some of the program's key tips:
       Have your blood pressure checked at least twice per year 
     after age 12; Diabetics should have blood pressure checked 
     regularly and follow diet and exercise instructions; Avoid 
     alcoholic beverages to help prevent liver disease; Avoid use 
     of illegal drugs such as marijuana, heroin and cocaine which 
     cause liver disease and kidney failure; Avoid smoking 
     cigarettes which can lead to heart and lung disease; Avoid 
     foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats such as fried 
     foods which can clog the arteries; Establish a regular 
     exercise routine which should be performed at least three 
     times per week; Visit your doctor at least once per year for 
     a check-up.
       April is National Donate Life Month. Information about 
     organ and tissue donation is available on a special Web site 
     from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: http:/
     /www.organdonor.gov/.

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