Organ Trafficking Syndicates – A Worldwide Issue
Organ trafficking is one of the most lucrative illicit trades in the entire world, however, it is the least discussed sub-unit of human trafficking. Often times, human trafficking is seen as only including sex trafficking or workforce trafficking. Most anti-human trafficking groups place a smaller portion on their focus on this sect of human trafficking as it is an intricate and complex organization which carries out its illegal activities with extreme craftiness and stealth.
This illegal network of human organ trade is conducted primarily in the dark and the only thing that is left from its devious underworks is the medical footprint that it leaves behind. Most illegally harvested organs would be sold into medical practice and seeing as the organs may have been cut out of the victims in a less medical setting, there may be certain side effects that the recipient may be inflicted with, the most common being bacterial infections due to improper handling of the organ or even organ deterioration due to the organs not being kept in suitable conditions to preserve it in an optimal state.
The Shocking Numbers of Organ Transplant
According to the Global Financial Integrity’s yearly report, almost 10% of all organ transplants conducted in medical facilities around the world are being carried out with organs that are sourced through illicit means. The majority of the 10% of illegal organs in medicine are namely hearts, lungs and kidneys. Out of these three, kidneys are in the top spot, in terms of demand for it. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 10,000 kidneys are traded annually in the black markets all over the world. That is an average of two kidneys, every hour. 2 However, the most expensive set of organs that are sold illegally is the lungs, each pair selling at a starting price of $150,000.
The Victims Of Organ Trafficking
Almost anyone can become victims of organ trafficking. However, these prowling groups have a special preference for children and women as they are easy targets for organ trafficking syndicates. Most victims had domestic violence or are picked up from public places such as parks and bars, some even being sold into the trade by friends or partners.
On the other side of the spectrum, those living in poverty stricken conditions become easy targets for the illegal organ trade. They are promised only a menial sum of the actual trade value of the organs, and given that even a sum of $1000 per organ is already considered a huge sum in their living state, most volunteer to sell their organs, namely kidneys. Such happenings are more common in third-world countries such as Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and rural areas of China.
Solutions To The Illegal Organ Trade
Unfortunately, the reason why the illegal organ trade exists is because there isn’t enough supply of organs supplied through legal donations. According to a study conducted by WHO, only 10% of the organ transplant requests have legal organs being supplied to them, and the rest are being supported by the black market trade of human organs.
The most feasible solution is to encourage more people to donate their organs upon their demise. Lots of organ donation groups have been championing altruistic living and have been going all out to recruit more organ donors. However, many are still skeptical to donate their organs, even after death.
Another partial solution would be to reduce the need for organ transplants for diseases that can be cured using drugs and therapy, for example hepatitis and diabetes. Most scientists are racing against the disease in order to find a solution that can put an end to such diseases, without having to resort to a transplant procedure. However, most of these are still in testing stages and are not ready to be mass produced for the general market anytime soon. And even if they did, it is only a partial solution as there still are diseases where an organ transplant is the only way out.
Trafficking People For Organ is a Serious Crime and a Violation of Human Rights
Organ trafficking is a serious issue and it may seem like something that happens in movies or third-world countries in Asia, but you will be surprised to find that even medical centers in New York, Chicago and some bigger cities have been receiving illegal organs for their transplant patients. It’s only a matter of time until it spreads further to the West.
Disclaimer:
The above is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal advice or specific recommendations in any way.
