Radio and audio production Made In Manchester has produced a documentary for BBC Radio 4 that highlights the racial inequality of organ donation and transplantation.

In “Dying For A Transplant”, comedian and presenter Emmanuel Sonubi hears from experts and healthcare professionals about how people from ethnic minority backgrounds make up around 18% of the country’s population but represent over a third of people on the transplant waiting list, which means that if you’re any race other than white you will have a longer wait for a viable organ and are more likely to die in the process.

In the programme Emmanuel speaks to “Goodness Gracious Me” star Nina Wadia OBE, who has a family history of organ transplantation, about why she thinks it’s so important that people from ethnic minority backgrounds are aware of the issue and what they can do to help. He also hears from Sarah Olney MP, who chairs an All Party Parliamentary Group focused on understanding the reasons for the lack of donors, about their aims to turn the issue around.

Sonubi, who has presented “Live At The Apollo” and is now a regular face on TV, suffered heart failure during a gig and very nearly joined the ranks of several comedians who have literally died on stage. He
was later told by doctors that he had a heart condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy and that he could need a heart transplant at any point in the future.

Emmanuel says: This is a really important issue that needs to be spoken about more and I’ve been very fortunate to have such a great team at Made In Manchester behind me to help get this message out
there.

Producer Kurt Brookes says: “It was great working with Emmanuel again and although the subject matter is hard-hitting, life and death stuff,
we’ve made a programme that doesn’t lecture the listener.”

“Dying For A Transplant” is broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 at 15:30 on Wednesday 17th July and will be available on BBC Sounds after transmission.