National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce (NIKTT)

The TSANZ proudly supports an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. Please see our statement here.

In June 2018, the Minister for Indigenous Health, the Hon Ken Wyatt MP, commissioned an expert panel, led by the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ), to undertake a comprehensive review into the hurdles, service gaps and practical challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients receiving treatment for kidney disease. The expert panel provided a Performance Report in March 2019. After receiving the Report, the Minister for Indigenous Health announced funding to establish a National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce, which is responsible for implementing and evaluating the Report’s priority recommendations, as outlined in the Executive Summary.

NIKTT Dashboard

The National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce (NIKTT), in collaboration with the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry, has developed a prototype Data Equity Dashboard to provide an overview of waitlisting and transplantation metrics across Australia.

Drawing on 2024 data, the dashboard presents national and state-level comparisons between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous populations. Users can view the total number of people on kidney replacement therapy, those currently waitlisted, and those transplanted, alongside measures such as time to waitlisting and transplantation, percentages and rates by age, as well as rates per million population.

The dashboard is interactive, enabling tailored exploration by metric and jurisdiction. While currently in prototype form, feedback is welcomed via the link provided on the webpage. Users are encouraged to view the dashboard on a desktop computer, as mobile optimisation is still in development.

Looking ahead, NIKTT will expand the dashboard to include parent unit-level reporting, offering more granular insights to support equity-focused practice improvements. Input from stakeholders on what features and metrics would be most valuable at this level is welcomed.

NIKTT Paper published in MJA

Am I on the List? - 7 July 2025

NIKTT Gathering 2025

Media Release - 12 February 2025

Bridging Extension of the National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce to Maintain Progress Towards Transplantation Equity (NIKTT Bridging)

Funding has been secured to maintain Secretariat operations for NIKTT for 12 months (to January 2025) until a more sustainable funding solution is established. See an update in the Secretariat Communique below.

June 2024: NIKTT Secretariat Communique

Transplantation Equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples with Kidney Disease

Endorsed by the delegates of the National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce Gathering, December 5 and 6, 2022 in Adelaide, South Australia: Position Statement

NIKTT Reports

August 2023: Final Report

June 2022: Performance Report

January 2022: Performance Report

July 2021: Performance Report

January 2020: Performance Report

Cultural Bias Report: Cultural Bias Indigenous Kidney Care and Kidney Transplantation Report

Cultural Bias Policy Brief: Cultural Bias Initiatives to Improve Kidney Transplantation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

Indigenous Kidney Health

March 2019: Performance Report - Improving access to and outcomes of kidney transplantation for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.

National Indigenous Dialysis & Transplantation Conference (NIDTC), Alice Springs, 20-22 October 2019

Media Release

National Indigenous Dialysis and Transplantation Conference

NIDTC Program

Pat Turner's speech at NIDTC (NACCHO Aboriginal Health)

NIDTC Video Presentations

NIKTT Equity and Access Sponsorship

On Track to Transplant' presentation delivered by Rhanee Tsetsakos, Patient Navigator (Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network) at the annual Renal Society of Australasia 2021 conference in June 2021.

Congratulations to Rhanee Tsetsakos for the following awards;

Best Paper – Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Maori or Pacific Islander Renal Care - Rhanee Tsetsakos
179 - On track to transplant – a patient navigator model

People’s Choice Award – Oral Presentation – Rhanee Tsetsakos
179 - On track to transplant – a patient navigator model

ISN WCN Satellite Meeting, Melbourne 11th April 2019

First Nations Kidney Health – a focus on transplantation was a one-day event held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), Melbourne on Thursday 11th April 2019 from 8.30 am to 6.00 pm.

Speakers' video presentations can be found here.

More information on NIKTT projects, including contact details, can be found here.

National Principles for Child Safe Organisations.

More information can be found here.