Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, especially those who live in remote communities, have a much greater risk of developing kidney failure and requiring dialysis treatment than non-Indigenous Australians. Yet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are substantially less likely to receive kidney transplantation. For those who are fortunate enough to receive a kidney transplant, a disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous patients persists, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kidney transplant recipients experiencing significantly worse post-transplant outcomes compared to non-Indigenous recipients.

The National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce (NIKTT) was funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health, as an initiative of the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand, to improve access to, and outcomes of, kidney transplantation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Membership of the NIKTT comprises 26 stakeholders from a variety of disciplines including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kidney community members, nephrologists, nurses, policymakers, researchers, primary care, and allied health professionals. The NIKTT Secretariat work alongside the ANZDATA Registry, housed within the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

The NIKTT is responsible for driving the development and implementation of initiatives that target knowledge and service delivery gaps identified by the TSANZ Performance Report, including the following three key objectives:

1. Enhance data collection and reporting, 
2. Pilot initiatives to improve patient equity and access, and 
3. Evaluate cultural bias interventions.

Visit the NIKTT website to learn more.

Key Documents

• Progress Report
• Media Release on Equity & Access Sponsorships
• List of Sponsorship Recipients
• COVID-19 resources for the Indigenous Kidney Community

Video Presentations from the National Indigenous Dialysis & Transplantation Conference

• Jaqui Hughes “How do we all fit together? The pieces of the transplantation puzzle.”
• Alan Cass “What the research says”
• Sarah Jones “Organ donation – an essential part of the transplant story”
• Wai Lim “How are kidneys allocated? An explanation for the community”
• Dr Chris Bourke “What do we mean and why do we mean it?”
• Dr Mandy Truong “What is the evidence base?”
• Ross Francis “Pre-transplant assessment guidelines”
• Alison Weightman “What is the right thing to do?”
• Raymond Sambo “Peritoneal Dialysis in Cape York”
• Gillian Gorham  “Insights from the Dialysis Models of Care Partnership”
• Tony Usher “Where can we live in town?”
• Dr Jess Conway “The SA Bus”
• Harris Lidasan “Nurse-supported haemodialysis in communities”
• James Stacey “Primary Health Care, the KAMS way”
• Dr Emma Fitzsimons “Primary Health Care, the Danila Dilba way”