Organ trafficking

Organ trade is the trade of human organs, tissues or other body parts for the purpose of transplantation. There is a global need or demand for healthy body parts for transplantation, far exceeding the numbers available.

As of 2011^[update], about 90,000 people were reported to be waiting for a new organ in the United States. On average, an individual will wait three and a half years for an organ to become available for transplant. There is a worldwide shortage of organs available for transplantation, yet commercial trade in human organs was at one point illegal in all countries except Iran. The legal status of organ trade, however, is changing around the world. For example, in 2013, both Australia and Singapore legalized financial compensation for living organ donors.

Trade in human organs is illegal in many jurisdictions in a number of ways and for various reasons, though organ trafficking is widespread, as is transplant tourism. The data on the extent of the black market is difficult to obtain. The question of whether to legalize and regulate the organ trade to combat illegal trafficking and organ shortage is hotly debated.

Iran is the only nation that allows organs to be bought and sold legally. However, it does place restrictions on the commercial organ trade in an attempt to limit transplant tourism. The market is contained within the country; that is, foreigners are not allowed to buy the organs of Iranian citizens. Additionally, organs can only be transplanted between people of the same nationality - so, for example, an Iranian cannot purchase a kidney from a refugee from another country. The system is largely charity- and volunteer-based, and those tasked with matching donors and patients are not paid for their work.

Proponents of legalized organ trade have hailed the Iranian system as an example of an effective and safe organ trading model. An article in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology notes that the Iranian model has avoided many problems associated with organ trade. The article points out that every other solution attempted in other developing countries has failed even to slow down the continual growth of organ transplant wait lists.

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