Kidneys donated by Black people are more likely to be thrown away. A bioethicist explains why.

As one of the in the U.S., is a serious public problem.

The disease is particularly severe among Black Americans, who are than white Americans to develop kidney failure. While Black people constitute only 12% of the U.S.

population, they of those with kidney failure. The reason is due in part to the prevalence of diabetes and high blood pressure — the to kidney disease — in the Black community. Almost in the U.

S. are awaiting kidney transplantation. Though Black Americans are more likely to need transplants, they are also to receive them.

Making matters worse, kidneys from in the U.S. are more likely to be thrown away as a result of that erroneously considers all Black donor kidneys as more likely to stop working after a transplant than kidneys from donors of other races.

As a scholar of bioethics, health and philosophy, I believe this flawed system raises serious ethical concerns about justice, fairness and good stewardship of a scarce resource — kidneys. The U.S.

organ transplantation system rates donor kidneys using the , an algorithm that includes 10 factors, including the donor’s age, height, weight and history of hypertension and diabetes. Another factor in the algorithm is race. Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

Research on shows that some kidneys donated by Black people are more likely to stop working sooner after transplantation than kidneys donated by people from other races. This brings down the average time a .