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Science Buying of human organs from world’s poorest people declared inhumane
Science Buying of human organs from world’s poorest people declared inhumane | Buying of human organs from world’s poorest people declared inhumane |
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| by William Atkins | |
| Tuesday, 05 August 2008 | |
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Page 2 of 2 The effectiveness of the Declaration has already given the incentive of the countries of China, Pakistan, and the Philippines to ban such transplants. The Instanbul Declaration begins by saying, “Organ transplantation, one of the medical miracles of the twentieth century, has prolonged and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide. The many great scientific and clinical advances of dedicated health professionals, as well as countless acts of generosity by organ donors and their families, have made transplantation not only a life-saving therapy but a shining symbol of human solidarity. Yet these accomplishments have been tarnished by numerous reports of trafficking in human beings who are used as sources of organs and of patient-tourists from rich countries who travel abroad to purchase organs from poor people. In 2004, the World Health Organization, called on member states ‘to take measures to protect the poorest and vulnerable groups from transplant tourism and the sale of tissues and organs, including attention to the wider problem of international trafficking in human tissues and organs’” It also states, “All countries need a legal and professional framework to govern organ donation and transplantation activities, as well as a transparent regulatory oversight system that ensures donor and recipient safety and the enforcement of standards and prohibitions on unethical practices.” And, “Unethical practices are, in part, an undesirable consequence of the global shortage of organs for transplantation. Thus, each country should strive both to ensure that programs to prevent organ failure are implemented and to provide organs to meet the transplant needs of its residents from donors within its own population or through regional cooperation. The therapeutic potential of deceased organ donation should be maximized not only for kidneys but also for other organs, appropriate to the transplantation needs of each country. Efforts to initiate or enhance deceased donor transplantation are essential to minimize the burden on living donors. Educational programs are useful in addressing the barriers, misconceptions and mistrust that currently impede the development of sufficient deceased donor transplantation; successful transplant programs also depend on the existence of the relevant health system infrastructure. “ The Istanbul Declaration is found in its entirety on the PR News Wire website as a pdf file. The International Summit on Transplant Tourism and Organ Trafficking was held from April 30 to May 2, 2008, in Istanbul, Turkey. A commentary from the journal The Lancet, with regards to the Instanbul Declaration and organ trafficking, is found at “Commentary in The Lancet on the Declaration of Istanbul Sees Organ Transplantation Worldwide Threatened by Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism and Commercialism”
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