Difference between revisions of "Organ Trafficking"
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| − | Organ Trafficking: A Booming Black Market | + | '''Organ Trafficking: A Booming Black Market''' |
Organ transplantation, starting as an ambiguous and experimental surgical procedure in the 1950s, has developed over the past sixty years and become a widely beneficial treatment carried out in hospitals worldwide.<ref>Scheper-Hughes, Nancy. 2000. “Postmodern Cannibalism-Black Market Trade of Human Organs” from Whole Earth. Available at BNET Business Network at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GER/is_2000_Summer/ai_63500744?tag=untagged</ref> Organ transplantation is the “established treatment for the failure of vital organs such as the kidneys, pancreas, liver, heart or lung,” with kidney transplant being the most common.<ref>The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. 2004. “Organ Transplants.” postnote 231:1-4. Available at http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/POSTpn231.pdf</ref> By 2000, kidney transplants were being conducted in “the U.S., in most European and Asian countries, in several South American and Middle Eastern countries, and in four African nations.”<ref>Scheper-Hughes 2000:1</ref> | Organ transplantation, starting as an ambiguous and experimental surgical procedure in the 1950s, has developed over the past sixty years and become a widely beneficial treatment carried out in hospitals worldwide.<ref>Scheper-Hughes, Nancy. 2000. “Postmodern Cannibalism-Black Market Trade of Human Organs” from Whole Earth. Available at BNET Business Network at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GER/is_2000_Summer/ai_63500744?tag=untagged</ref> Organ transplantation is the “established treatment for the failure of vital organs such as the kidneys, pancreas, liver, heart or lung,” with kidney transplant being the most common.<ref>The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. 2004. “Organ Transplants.” postnote 231:1-4. Available at http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/POSTpn231.pdf</ref> By 2000, kidney transplants were being conducted in “the U.S., in most European and Asian countries, in several South American and Middle Eastern countries, and in four African nations.”<ref>Scheper-Hughes 2000:1</ref> | ||
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Because there is such a scarcity of organs in a time when demand is so high, the selling of organs for profit has become increasingly popular. In most countries, selling organs, or organ trafficking, is illegal; therefore, this activity has given rise to a prominent black market trade.<ref>Handwerk 2004</ref> | Because there is such a scarcity of organs in a time when demand is so high, the selling of organs for profit has become increasingly popular. In most countries, selling organs, or organ trafficking, is illegal; therefore, this activity has given rise to a prominent black market trade.<ref>Handwerk 2004</ref> | ||
| − | According to the United Nations (UN), organ trafficking is an organized crime that can occur in three different ways. | + | According to the United Nations (UN), organ trafficking is an organized crime that can occur in three different ways.<ref>United Nations. 2009. “Trafficking for Organ Trade” from UN.GIFT: Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking. Available at http://www.ungift.org/ungift/en/humantrafficking/organtrade.html </ref> First, traffickers may force or trick their victims into giving up one of their organs. Second, a victim will undergo surgery for an illness that may or may not exist. During the procedure an organ is removed from the victim without knowledge. Third, victims may “agree to sell an organ and are cheated because they are not paid for the organ or are paid less than the promised price.”<ref>United Nations 2009:1</ref> The last scenario is an example of what occurs with black market organ trade. |
| − | Organ trafficking requires a host of offenders in order to keep the activity underground. There is usually a recruiter who tracks down the vulnerable and there are buyers and organ banks where body parts are stored. There are also hospitals and medical centers, doctors and professionals, and “middlemen and contractors” working in conjunction with each other. | + | Organ trafficking requires a host of offenders in order to keep the activity underground. There is usually a recruiter who tracks down the vulnerable and there are buyers and organ banks where body parts are stored. There are also hospitals and medical centers, doctors and professionals, and “middlemen and contractors” working in conjunction with each other.<ref>United Nations 2009:1</ref> All of these factors contribute to what is called the organ trade racket or organ trade ring.<ref>United Nations 2009</ref> |
| − | There are no reliable statistics on organ trafficking but according to the World Health Organization (WHO) in a 2004 report, it is believed to be increasing. It is said that brokers charge “between US$ 100,000 and US$ 200,000 to organize a transplant for wealthy patients. Donors—frequently impoverished and ill-educated—may receive as a little as US$ 1000 for a kidney although the going price is more likely to be about US$ 5000.” | + | There are no reliable statistics on organ trafficking but according to the World Health Organization (WHO) in a 2004 report, it is believed to be increasing. It is said that brokers charge “between US$ 100,000 and US$ 200,000 to organize a transplant for wealthy patients. Donors—frequently impoverished and ill-educated—may receive as a little as US$ 1000 for a kidney although the going price is more likely to be about US$ 5000.”<ref>Nullis-Kapp, Clare for the World Health Organization. 2004. “Organ Trafficking and Transplantation Pose New Challenges.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization 82(9):639-718. Available at http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/82/9/feature0904/en/index.html</ref> |
| − | Small villages in India and Brazil are popular recruiting spots because the sums offered to the inhabitants are a fortune in comparison to their regular salary. In 2003, Lisa Ling of National Geographic traveled to India to visit a neighborhood called “‘Kidney Village’ because so many of its residents had illegally sold one of their kidneys.” | + | Small villages in India and Brazil are popular recruiting spots because the sums offered to the inhabitants are a fortune in comparison to their regular salary. In 2003, Lisa Ling of National Geographic traveled to India to visit a neighborhood called “‘Kidney Village’ because so many of its residents had illegally sold one of their kidneys.”<ref>Handwerk 2004:1</ref> The people in the village were receiving only $800 for a kidney, which is about a year’s salary. While they are getting cheated out of thousands of dollars and could potentially have many health problems living with only one kidney, none of them had any regrets as it helped them to support their families.<ref>Handwerk 2004</ref> Ling reported that for these people who are so poverty-stricken, “‘it’s a gruesome option…but it is an option.”<ref>Handwerk 2004:2</ref> |
==An Ethical Dilemma== | ==An Ethical Dilemma== | ||
| − | In December of 2003, an international trade racket was broken up by police in Brazil and South Africa. The ring also involved people in Israel, where the police speculate it all started. The police reported that donors were flown from impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil to Durban, South Africa “where transplant surgery was performed on patients, including some from Israel.” | + | In December of 2003, an international trade racket was broken up by police in Brazil and South Africa. The ring also involved people in Israel, where the police speculate it all started.<ref>Rohter, Larry. 2004. “THE ORGAN TRADE: A Global Black Market; Tracking the Sale of a Kidney on a Path of Poverty and Hope” from the New York Times. Available at http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE0DD163EF930A15756C0A9629C8B63&sec=health&scp=1&sq=the%20organ%20trade&st=cse </ref> The police reported that donors were flown from impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil to Durban, South Africa “where transplant surgery was performed on patients, including some from Israel.”<ref>Handwerk 2004:1</ref> Organ recipients may have paid up to $100,000 dollars, but the donors only received a small amount of that money. Still, this was enough to support their families for one or two years. (For more detailed information about this trade ring please see Larry Rohter’s NYTIMES article at [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE0DD163EF930A15756C0A9629C8B63&sec=health&scp=1&sq=the%20organ%20trade&st=cse here]). |
| − | Though this ring was broken up, “such highprofile [success] merely [scratches] at the surface.” | + | Though this ring was broken up, “such highprofile [success] merely [scratches] at the surface.”<ref>Nullis-Kapp, Clare for the World Health Organization 2004:1</ref> Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and movements such as Organs Watch and the Initiative on Global Organ Trafficking devote themselves to researching, combating, and raising awareness about the issue.<ref>See http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/biotech/organswatch/ and http://www.organtrafficking.org/</ref> |
| − | There is still high demand on a limited supply of organs, which has caused many to question whether there should be some compensation to ease the shortage. It does raise certain ethical questions, but “compensation could financially benefit donors while physically benefiting thousands in urgent need of transplants.” | + | There is still high demand on a limited supply of organs, which has caused many to question whether there should be some compensation to ease the shortage. It does raise certain ethical questions, but “compensation could financially benefit donors while physically benefiting thousands in urgent need of transplants.”<ref>Handwerk 2004:2</ref> It could potentially remedy the need for organs and also benefits individuals and families who are not able to support themselves on the lowly pay they receive from their jobs. In addition, if organ trade were to be regulated and legal, it would rid of the exploitive, unsafe, and underground nature of the market.<ref>Handwerk 2004</ref> |
| − | This view is not popular enough among “medical and bioethics circles,” the WHO, the UN, or NGOs right now for anything to come of it. The ultimatum is that organ trafficking exploits everyone involved, and most of all, the poor. There is also a very fine line between selling human organs and selling humans themselves. | + | This view is not popular enough among “medical and bioethics circles,” the WHO, the UN, or NGOs right now for anything to come of it.<ref>Handwerk 2004</ref> The ultimatum is that organ trafficking exploits everyone involved, and most of all, the poor. There is also a very fine line between selling human organs and selling humans themselves.<ref>Rohter 2004</ref> |
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| + | ==References== | ||
| + | The original version of this article was developed by Joanna Moshman. | ||
| + | |||
| + | <references/> | ||
Latest revision as of 12:39, 11 February 2009
Organ Trafficking: A Booming Black Market
Organ transplantation, starting as an ambiguous and experimental surgical procedure in the 1950s, has developed over the past sixty years and become a widely beneficial treatment carried out in hospitals worldwide.[1] Organ transplantation is the “established treatment for the failure of vital organs such as the kidneys, pancreas, liver, heart or lung,” with kidney transplant being the most common.[2] By 2000, kidney transplants were being conducted in “the U.S., in most European and Asian countries, in several South American and Middle Eastern countries, and in four African nations.”[3]
With the use and spread of technologies, organ transplants are now saving lives throughout the world. Because of this, there is an increasing global demand for organs. Unfortunately, supply has not been able to keep up with this high demand. In the U.S. alone, there are about 80,000 people waiting to receive an organ[4] and yearly, about 10 percent of people waiting for a heart transplant die because there is none available.[5] No countries but Belgium, Austria, and Spain have been able to satisfy the demands of its people.[6]
This shortage of organs is largely due to religious and/or cultural barriers. In many Middle Eastern Islamic countries, religion discourages organ donation from cadavers, “[emphasizing] the need to maintain the integrity of the body at burial.”[7] The same is seen in very orthodox Jewish traditions as well as many Asian countries because of high respect for elders. While there are some traditional and religious people from these backgrounds who have accepted organ donation and sanctioned it “as a gift of life,” many people denounce it and “transplantation from cadaveric sources is rare.”[8] In western countries as well, many people are opposed to letting their dead relatives become organ donors. Throughout the world, people in need of an organ rely mostly on living kin.[9]
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