Organ Trafficking Causes & Effects Draft- Laelani Judie
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Organ Trafficking: Causes & Effects
Grand Canyon University College of Psychology
ENG 106: English Composition II
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Organ Trafficking: Causes & Effects
Worldwide, there is an increasing number of people engaging in illegal organ trafficking measures. The process of ethical organ transplantation methods are reliable, but have proven to be lengthy and costly. The average wait list time for any organ transplant is typically around 3 to 5 years. This can discourage many people and possibly lead them to turn to alternative measures,
that can sometimes prove to be illegal. Organ trafficking can be described as a type of human trafficking where a person’s (living or deceased) organs are exploited for profit or gain (UNDOC, 2010). Yearly, about 120,000 organ transplants are performed worldwide. 10%, or 12,000 of these transplants have some involvement with illegal organ transplantation and/or with
the black market (NIH, 2020). Although people might be able to avoid the organ waiting list with
the process of organ trafficking, there’s a bigger opportunity for exploitation and unethical measures to emerge. While many factors can contribute to these illegal organ trafficking activities, the more common reasons can include the gross imbalance between the supply and demand of donations, growing poverty in various countries, and the worldwide increase in migration. In the United States and worldwide, the need for organ donations and transplants increases every year. As of the year of 2023, the transplant waiting list is said to have 100,00 plus patients. Everyday an average of 17 people from the waiting list die (Penn Medicine, 2023). Factors such as the deaths of patients previously on the waiting list and patients who were removed from the waiting list for other reasons, can play a role in decreasing it. However, this alone does not cover the gross imbalance between the demand needed with the given supply. Statistics have shown that in the year of 1988, there was a transplantation waiting list of around 16,026 people. In 1996, just 8 years later, this number increased by 212% to an amount of 50,047
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waiting patients. During this time period, 23,214 people died while waiting on the transplant wait
list. When the total number of patients added as well as removed from the waiting list was calculated, it was determined that a 90%, or 18,000 organs were the supply difference needed to match the total of the demand (NIH, 1997). As the supply and demand showed heavy imbalances, organ traffickers decided to take the opportunity to profit from this by preying on and supplying people in desperation with organs that have been transplanted from another individual who may have experienced exploitation. The more dire an individual’s health situation is regarding an organ, the more likely they are to alternate to the black market for a way
to “quickly” find a solution to their problem and avoid the waiting list. Although this procedure would be quicker than being placed on the organ waiting list, organs provided as a result of trafficking are proven to be more dangerous to an individual. Various factors that play a role in determining whether an organ recipient and the donor’s organ are a match are commonly overlooked in black-market organ trade. While the demand and waiting list can lead many to purchase organs from the black market, what can lead individuals to sell their organs to the black
market?
As the rise of poverty increases worldwide, people faced with these challenges will have more willingness to take matters into their own hands. In 2022, the official poverty rate in the United States alone was 11.5%, or 37.9 million citizens (United States Census, 2023). As the demand for organs increased over time, and black-market growth for organ harvesting saw great potential. One relationship various researchers observed in black-market transplantation was the typical status and common relationships seen between patients and their organ donor. Typically, it is seen that the transplant recipient will come from a wealthy nation. In contrast, the organ donor commonly comes from a background of poverty or from a poorer nation (CBHD, 2010).
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The relationship of having poor donors and rich buyers is beneficial for traffickers. This allows them to underpay or exploit donors, while charging buyers higher prices In return, this leaves traffickers with the majority of the assets. Organ trafficking can occur worldwide, but is common
in Northern Africa, South-East Asia, Europe, Central America, and the Middle East. In Nepal, one of the poorest countries in South Asia, there is a long history of the illegal sale of organs. As Nepal’s neighboring country, India, has a high demand for organs, young people in Nepal are commonly targeted and lured into organ trafficking to serve as suppliers. People are lured into this illegal activity through the promise of financial gain or stability. One example of this phenomenon is the 2022 case involving 19-year-old Santosh from Nepal. Looking for a job to provide for his family, Santosh was targeted and deceived by traffickers posing as job recruiters. Unaware of these underlaying motives, Santosh was illegally trafficked to India. Here, he arrived
at a hospital where he underwent illegal surgery. By the end of the procedure, Santosh returned home with one kidney, $4,500, and without his promised job. While Santosh may have returned home richer in money, he was poorer in health with chronic deficiency as a result of the trafficking (PBS, 2023). As the nations mentioned above, most commonly have unreliable governments and humanitarian agencies, traffickers have more power and influence to convince or deceive their citizens. While people of poorer countries can be targeted, smuggled migrants can also fall victim to traffickers.
In 2020, it was calculated that the global estimate for international migrants was 3%, or 281 million people apart of world population. Migration can be described as a person’s change of
residency permanently or temporarily. This change of living typically occurring country to country. Migrant smuggling is a type of migration that involves the illegal transportation and entry of people across international borders. Out of the total number of migrants worldwide, 4
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million people account for those who were illegally smuggled. In attempts to improve their financial and living situations, many people turn to smugglers, otherwise known as “coyotes,” to assist them in crossing international borders. Many of the smugglers involved in this type of migration are commonly associated or involved with various forms of human trafficking, such as
organ trafficking. Promised with a pathway across international borders and freedom, many people can be deceived and lured into organ trafficking. Many times, migrants will pay their dues with their organs, then are taken to their desired location by traffickers. Other times, if a migrant is unable to pay a smuggler’s service with money, any of their valuable possessions, even organs, are taken for profit to ensure a “rightful” exchange. Along with migrant smuggling, regular international migration can also be dangerous when it comes to trafficking. According to research conducted between 2011 and 2014 in Argentina, the statistics regarding the rate of newly citizenship-registered migrants of Argentina and the number of trafficked victims detected
in Argentina showed correlating numbers. This abundant relationship during this time was also reflected in other areas of the world where migration was increasing. These places include the United States, Mexico, East Asia, and the Caribbean. Migrant trafficking victims from poorer countries are also more likely to fall victim to organ trafficking operations due to their lack of economic resources and education. Smugglers associated with organ trafficking specifically target people apart of a lower socioeconomic class due to their deceivability and overall lower status within society (UNODC, 2016).
Organ trafficking, fueled by the world’s ever-growing need for more organs, plays a harmful role in society. As people can use this method of organ transplantation to fulfill their personal needs, it has proven to do more harm than good for all associated parties. While organ donors are given false promises of goods and riches, organ recipients can also suffer from this
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because the procedure is unethical and medically unsafe. As the black-market has always been an alternative option for people to turn to during desperate times, it has shown an increase of popularity as other options become scarcer. As a result of the gross imbalance between the supply and demand of organs, growing poverty across many countries, and increasing numbers in migration, organ trafficking is at an all-time high in America and worldwide.
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References
6 Quick Facts About Organ Donation
. (2023). Penn Medicine. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/transplant-update/2023/april/6-quick-facts-
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Cunningham, P., & Shafer, M. (2010).
Medical Exploitation and Black Market Organs: Profiteering and Disparities in Global Medicine
. Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity. https://www.cbhd.org/dignitas-articles/medical-exploitation-and-black-market-organs-
profiteering-and-disparities-in-global-medicine
Experts meet in Vienna to address the trafficking of persons for the removal of organs
. (2010). United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-
trafficking/2010/egm-vienna-organ-trafficking.html
Human Trafficking, Migration and Conflict. (2016). United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime. https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/Glotip16_Chapter_2.pdf
John T. Potts, J., & Herdman, R. (1997). Transplantation Supply and Demand. In
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. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK230266/
Shrider, E., & Creamer, J. (2023).
Poverty in the United States: 2022
. Census.gov; United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.html
Warsi, Z. (2023).
In Nepal’s “Kidney Valley,” poverty drives an illegal market for human organs
. PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/in-nepals-kidney-valley-
poverty-drives-an-illegal-market-for-human-organs
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