New paper reveals critical waitlisting barriers for First Nations people with kidney failure

During 2025 NAIDOC Week, the Medical Journal of Australia published a Special Issue on Indigenous Health – Carving our path with spirit, strength and solidarity. The issue, led by an all-First Nations editorial team, highlights evidence and solutions created by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Featured in the issue is new research from the National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce (NIKTT), a national initiative based within ANZORRG that was established to address inequities in access to kidney transplantation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The NIKTT paper — Am I on the List? — moves beyond simply showing that inequity exists. It provides the first national breakdown of clinician-reported reasons for why patients aren’t waitlisted, revealing where and how the system is failing. The data show that barriers occur at every step — from not starting assessments to being ruled ineligible — and that delays in completing work-up are far more common for First Nations patients.

Written by ANZORRG Executive Director, Professor Stephen McDonald AM, as well as ANZORRG staff Katie Cundale, Chris Davies, Feruza Kholmurodova, Kelli Owen, and Matilda D'Antoine, it uses enhanced data collection through the ANZDATA Registry to showcase the inequities that persist within our health system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people seeking access to kidney transplantations.