Faith, Politics and Organ Donation

09 December 2010 London, UK [Sharon Platt-McDonald, BUC Health and Disability Ministries Director, BUC NEWS] 

It is often said that faith and polities rarely mix well. However, on Tuesday, 23 November a group of MPs and Faith Representatives sat around a parliamentary table in the House of Commons to discuss faith and cultural aspects in relation to a National Campaign on Organ Donation. The meeting was a very positive one.

Seventh-day Adventists were among the invited guests to this event – the official launch of the report on work with Faith Communities and Organ Donation. Sharon Platt-McDonald, BUC Health and Disability Ministries director was there as one who contributed to the document. She reported on work undertaken within the Seventh-day Adventist Church to raise awareness of this issue.

Held at the House of Commons, this high profile meeting included speakers like the Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury; Andrew Stunell MP, Minister for Communities and Local Government; Anne Milton MP for Public Health and Liz Kendall Labour Minister for Leicester. Other presenters included Dr Chris Rudge, National Clinical Director for Transplant and Sally Johnson, Director of NHS Blood and Transplant.

The Organ Donation Campaign is a joint national initiative of the Organ Donation Taskforce and the Department of Health. The Faith Communities and Organ Donation document highlights the key objectives of the national campaign and sets out recommendations to raise awareness and increase the level of organ donations particularly amongst black and minority ethnic groups.

This is important as people from these groups are three to four times more likely to be affected with kidney failure yet while they make up 8% of the UK population, 25% of patients actively waiting for kidney transplants are from this group. It is thus hardly surprising that they have to wait longer for transplants – up to eight years and are far more likely to die while waiting.

The statistics note that only 1.7% of donors are black, 1.6% Asian and 95.6% are white, thus increasing donations from BME groups will make a radical difference in the treatment of diseases such as end-stage kidney, heart, and liver failure.

The work with faith groups is key to helping raise awareness amongst BME groups as faith and cultural beliefs and practices often impact individual's perceptions and decision to become donors or recipients. Groups participating in the organ donation campaign include Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist, and representatives from these groups attended the launch event. They were able to share some of the barriers, challenges, myths, cultural and religious perspectives which had previously discouraged individuals from becoming involved in organ donation. However there were many encouraging reports about the increase in engagement within these communities as a result of the ongoing national campaign.

Five Adventist churches were involved in the project to raise awareness earlier on this year. Leicester, Leeds, Luton North, Luton Central and Southall were involved in interviews and focus groups with key individuals from the Organ Donation Taskforce. As a result of these churches' participation the Seventh-day Adventist church was said to have made a 'significant contribution' to the project and outcome of the document.

Pastor Sam Davies of the Luton Central Adventist church states, "It was a privilege to be involved in a national programme such as this and be able to share the message that Adventists are compassionate people who care about the needs of others. Organ donation is something that we can become involved with as it saves lives."

For more information on the Organ Donation Campaign and to register to become a donor visit: <www.theodc.org.uk>. If you would like more information on the work of our Church in this area or how you can become involved, you can ring the BUC on 01923 672251 and speak with Sharon Platt-McDonald. Watch an enlightening BUC News video report of the launch. [tedNEWS]

edNEWS Staff: Miroslav Pujic, director; Deana Stojkovic, editor
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