Organ Trafficking Research Paper

Many of those who choose to sell their organ is either forced or manipulated by wealth. It is more likely for a poorer citizen from a developing country to be willing to supply n organ for a member of the upper class or for someone who can afford it, either through directly or through a broker. Brokers will do what every it takes to get what is being demanded. Some of the donors involved in organ trafficking are victims of body snatching or involuntary organ donations. Brokers will have the individual drugged and their organ removed without their consent to the procedure, they are also known for kidnaping poor and take whatever organ they desire and leave them there for dead. “Although estimates of trafficked persons are in their millions relatively few are identified” (Steinfall, T.M and Weitzer, R., 2011). Today brokers work with hospital staffs to locate poverty-stricken individuals to sell their organs for money. Some doctors often target children of poor countries in sell their organ in the black-market. In spite of its awareness, trafficking is still increasing. Trafficking a human organ is a growing profitable enterprise much like the unauthorized markets for weapons, humans, and drugs. Without the enforcement of laws against organ trafficking it is easier for an organ trafficker to buy and sell human organ increasing criminal

Over the last few decades, the number of patients on organ waiting lists in the US has continued to soar way above the number of organ donor. In some cases, patients have died waiting for organs from donors. According to available statistics, more than 100,000 patients are in the US transplant list waiting for organ donors. On the other hand, only 20% of these patients are likely to receive a legitimate organ donor and the fate of the other 80% lies in the balance (Rattenni 20). This shortage in the life saving organ transplant has led to a surge in illegal human trafficking cartels and black market vendor ready to exploit the desperate situation of these patients. In some cases, there have been cases of living donor ready to sale their organs for cash rewards.

The demand for organ donors far exceeds the supply of available organs. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) … there are more than 77,000 people in the U.S. who are waiting to receive an organ (Organ Selling 1). The article goes on to say that the majority of those on the national organ transplant waiting list are in need of kidneys, an overwhelming 50,000 people. Although financial gain in the U.S and in most countries is illegal, by legalizing and structuring a scale for organ donor monetary payment, the shortage of available donors could be reduced. Legalizing this controversial issue will help with the projected forecast for a decrease in the number of people on the waiting list, the ethical concerns around benefitting from organ donation, and to include compensation for the organ donor.

There are 112 thousand people on the organ transplant list and 22 people die every day because they cannot find a match ("Organ Donation Statistics", 2017). In 1984, under the National Organ Transplant Act, America outlawed the buying and selling of organs. If caught selling organs illegally, those involved shall be fined not more than $50,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both (Prohibition of Organ Purchases, 2011). With organizations like Planned Parenthood selling the body parts of aborted fetuses, the compensation of organs has been compared to prostitution. (Gebelhoff, 2015). If organ donors begin being compensated for their gifts of life, the Black Market organ trafficking will increase due to supply and demand of organs which in return creates a higher victim rate related to the black market. Offering money for organs can be viewed as an attempt to coerce economically disadvantaged Americans to participate in organ donation even though these groups of people have been shown to be less likely to be candidates, monetary incentives for organs could be characterized as exploitation (National Kidney Foundation, 2003). The Compensation of organ donation is unethical due to the acts by organizations such as Planned Parenthood, black market increases along with acts of cruelty towards unexpecting victims, and the increase in costs to perform the transplants.

122,542. That is the current amount of names on the national organ transplant list. Only about 6% of those people will actually go through a lifesaving organ transplantation within the next year (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, 2015) due to the short supply of organ donations. Every ten minutes, another person is placed on the waiting list, and every day 22 people on that list die before they ever receive a new organ (Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, 2015). As a result, there is a very intense demand for human organs, but too little people are willing to donate them. The shortage of organs for transplant caused the emergence of organ trafficking which favors a wealthy minority of individuals and exploits the poor

Organ trafficking is an illegal act that occurs globally. Traffickers are taking organs out of people using unhealthy medical procedures that cause serious health problems in many people in countries all over the world. Money is a strict motivation that keeps this black market running and increasing due to the disproportionate ratio of organs needed to survive, and organs available to transplant. There are many arguments revolving around the issue of organ donation in terms of ethics, limiting the ways people can donate. There is a very long process one would have to go through if considering donation, including a psychological examination in addition to the first part of the process to determine if the organ from the donor is a match for the recipient. Selling organs for profit is considered unethical as society views organ transplantation as an act that should be an altruistic donation, meaning that donations should be done without profit. Although there are laws restricting the act of organ trafficking, it is a growing industry because people do not understand the gravity of the damage being caused to targeted individuals and the community. In order to make a global change to put an end organ trafficking, people unaware of the activity should be educated of the act and the negative consequences it can have on multiple levels of the community. Organ trafficking can hurt an individual physically, mentally and financially

The National Organ Transplant Act (Public Law 98-507) makes it illegal to sell human organs and tissues in the United States (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). Violators are subject to fines and imprisonment. Congress made this law to ensure wealthy individuals do not have an unfair advantage for receiving an organ donation. Some illegal organ trafficking does occur; the World Health Organization estimates about one-fifth of all kidney donation may not be legally donated (Troug, 2005). Paying for an organ is an unjust moral pressure for the donor. In contrast to the law, some argue in favor of allowing organs to be sold for monetary incentive to increase the supply of organs to meet the high demand. This is an example of utilitarianism ethics, as the ends of giving lives from donating organs justify the means of paying for the organ. Furthermore, organs are being sold in other places of the world. For example, in India, individuals sell their kidneys for $700, and in Bombay, there have been kidnapping cases where people are killed for they organs (Troug, 2005).

Also, every place on earth except for Iran has made it illegal to sell or purchase organs. To make organ selling legal, the person must be declared brain dead. According to the United Network for Organ selling, there are 99,521 people waiting for kidney transplant in the U.S and out of those people waiting for a kidney transplant about 4,500 people die from waiting. These statistics are staggering because almost 100,000 people are waiting for a life-saving organ and in the midst of waiting, the person dies. The World Health organization believes that 10% of the demands for organs are being met, this is a very small number compared to the amount of people who are on the waiting list for an organ. This is one of the explanations on why people turn to the black

Illegal organ sales are on the rise because of the worldwide organ shortage. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that there are over one hundred and nineteen thousand men, women, and children currently waiting on the transplant list, and twenty-two of them die each day waiting for a transplant (Organ, 2015). Many individuals are utilizing the black market as a means to receive an organ for themselves or a loved one because they feel it is the only option. Organ sales should be legal because of the increasing number of illegal activities surrounding the process; transplants will be done in a safe and managed environment, the poor will not be exploited by black market criminal activity, and the number of organs available will

Starting off, the United States has a problem with organs being sold to the Black Market. As Michael Shafer says in his news article, “Black market organ transfer is the consequence of

The main crime which involves organ selling is organ trafficking and abduction where children kidnapping cases is popular these days. For example, in China, a missing six years old was found, however, after the inspection both of his eyes were removed (Ancher, D 2013). Moreover, the main objective for kidnappers is to gain more money. As for organ trafficking, victims are mostly being cheated by not getting paid or not getting the correct amount. According from the same source, an average buyer would spend around $150,000 - $200,000 for an organ while the donor only gets $5,000. Medical Daily (2013) explained that by doing organ trafficking, they are able to generate between $600 million and $1.2 billion in profits per year, whereas the most commonly trade organs are usually kidneys and livers. Top countries which involves organ trafficking is Moldova, India, China, Philippines etc. where it is shown to be mainly from developing countries. Hence, it shows that organ sales have a negative influence towards the economy which could increase in crime rate especially in developing

First, there are not enough donors as there are needed for those in need of an organ transplant, however, on the black market there are tons of illegal organs for sale. This has become a ruling trend as to whether or not this should be illegal or if donors should be rewarded for their donation. Although it can be used in numerous ways,

The ever-escalating amounts of organ trafficking in China have reached an all time high with the number rising to 10,000 black market operations occurring annually (Gianotti). This equates to more than one transplant operation per hour with thousands of people being tricked or forced (whether by situation or poverty) into selling their organs for money or even having them stolen. China has a high rate of all forms of human trafficking that is continuing to rise as a gradually growing problem without anything to slow it down. Organ trafficking is not excluded from this, and China has become one of the most common places for black market organ selling and harvesting

As a result of this situation, a global black market in human organs has developed. The problem of “transplant tourism” has emerged, in which wealthy patients travel to other countries that are lax in enforcing their laws in order to receive transplants using organs from desperately poor people (Scheper-Hughes 1645). For example, members of an international syndicate were arrested in South Africa in 2004 (McLaughlin, et al. 1). This syndicate had been bringing poor Brazilians to South Africa in order to buy their kidneys and then sell them to well-to-do Israeli patients. Many other illegal organ-trading rings are known to exist.

The delegate of Russia believes even though some nations like Russia are trying to get rid of organ trafficking, without the uncompromising effort of the other developed nations to ban importing trafficked organs within their own countries, it will be impossible to end this injustice. Developed countries must organize a system that would encourage an increase in legal organ donors, such as the opt-out system which has been successfully introduced in several countries, or reconsider and deregulate the present system on the basis of WHO guidelines. At the same time, laws must be organized to punish illegal trafficking groups in order to protect poor ‘donors’ from being lured into the organ trade.