Towards equity in paediatric liver transplantation: improving access and long-term outcomes

Paediatric liver transplantation is a lifesaving procedure for children with end-stage liver disease. In the USA, studies have detected that racial and socioeconomic disparities affect access to, and outcomes after, liver transplantation. 1 Ebel NH Lai JC Bucuvalas JC Wadhwani SI A review of racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in pediatric liver transplantation. Liver Transpl. 2022; 28: 1520-1528 Crossref PubMed Scopus (11) Google Scholar The absence of objective, standardised criteria for listing for transplant leaves the transplant listing and allocation system open to creating disparities. Eliminating inequities will require changes to allocation policy and targeted transformations of the care delivery model. We summarise known drivers of disparities across the paediatric liver transplantation continuum and outline feasible interventions that could lead to increasingly equitable treatment outcomes for all children with end-stage liver disease.