Panel urges changes to make US organ transplants more fair

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer

An influential scientific advisory panel says the U.S. transplant system needs an overhaul to stop wasting organs and give more patients a fair chance. The U.S. performed a record number of transplants of kidneys, livers and other organs last year, more than 41,000. Friday’s report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says there are ways to save many more lives. The panel set a goal of at least 50,000 transplants a year by 2026. It also outlined changes to reduce disparities such as those that make it harder for Black Americans to get a timely kidney transplant.