Organ commercialism, trafficking and transplant tourism

Abstract

The gap between demand and supply of organs continues to widen worldwide, encouraging transplant commercialism. While solid organ commerce is most prevalent in impoverished countries, commercialisation of body parts such as tissues is prevalent in economically developed countries. A number of international legal instruments and transplant societies define, condemn, and criminalise these practices and have issued statements related to organ commercialism. In contrast, limited attention has been paid to illicit and unethical activities associated with the procurement and clinical use of tissues. In India, The Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act, 2011, has taken multiple measures to combat organ and tissue commerce and as a result the number of such instances seems to be on the decline. However, the fight against unethical organ procurement through the internet and the social media is challenging and requires the cooperation of global bodies.