Progress in medical science and technology has helped the growth of kidney transplants and other organs throughout the world. Still, the gap between supply and demand for transplants continues to increase. In Europe, for example, the average waiting time for transplantation ranges about three years, and is expected to be extended to ten years to 2010. With 120,000 patients on chronic dialysis and 40,000 patients on the waiting list for a kidney, between 15% and 30% of these patients will die annually in Western Europe only by the shortage of organs.
Many patients are involved in organ trafficking to find a solution to the long wait. In parallel, criminals and other individuals have recognized the shortage of organs is an easy opportunity to put pressure on people from other countries living in poverty to sell their organs. The potential for huge profits justify their interest: kidney sellers get 2,500 to $ 3,000, while recipients pay between $ 100,000 and $ 200,000.
The December 11, 2007, the Center for Bioethics IHEU-Appignani-sponsored by the Office of the United Nations Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, convened a panel debate entitled "Intercepting crisis Human rights: Transplantation and organ trafficking. " During the discussion, several questions on ethics, medicine, law and social problems in general. Among the speakers were representatives of United Nations, the European Council the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Transplantation Surgery, University of New York, and the Medical Department of Transplantation Surgery and Westchester.
We talked in depth about organ trafficking and organ markets. Professor Art Caplan of the University of Pennsylvania said the group Falun Gong practitioners concerned that found in prisons or labor camps in China have been used as sources of organs for wealthy transplant recipients, both nationally and internationally.
extent to which those living in poverty have no option was also discussed by the exponents. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, the first woman elected Secretary General of the European Council Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization, stressed the need for coordinated multilateral efforts by governments to combat organ trafficking.
Professor Khalid Butt of the Medical Department of Surgery and Transplantation Westchester spoke about the role of poverty in the involvement of organ donors. Professor Butt gave three reasons for organ transplants: emotional, altruistic, economic, and suggested that in order to improve organ donation is necessary to improve treatment donor's initial medical and subsequent medical care.
Diflo Thomas Professor of the Department of Transplantation and Surgery, University of New York spoke about the growing and complex problem of "transplant tourism." The latest data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in the United States lists approximately 98,000 individuals waiting for an organ, compared with the 30,000 donated organs last year. Also talked about his own experience as a transplant surgeon on the case of a Sino-American who had returned from China after receiving an organ transplanted from an executed prisoner, raising important issues ethical. Even presented his own research in China with a journalist, published an article in the Village Voice in 1999, when two bodies of executed Chinese prisoners were taken without the permission of relatives.
Among the possible solutions that emerged in this new debate, was to create a broader legal framework against organ trafficking, initiating measures to improve health in "donor countries" to identify illegal donors , and denying medical insurance for patients who have received a transplant abroad. Criminal responsibility should extend to all those involved in the process of organ trafficking, including agents, brokers and the same donor. For more information: www.humanistbioethics.org
Source: www.lagranepoca.com/
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