NCJ Number
131293
Date Published
1991
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Current human organ procurement policies followed in many developed countries hold the potential for criminal solutions to the problems of acute shortages in organ supplies; strategies to increase the supply of organs for transplants could reduce the likelihood of black market transactions.
Abstract
This article focuses particularly on the situation in Australia and on kidney procurement, since kidneys may be obtained from both living and dead donors and are one of the most common organs in transplantation surgery. In Australia, most kidneys used for transplants are obtained through voluntary donations of cadaver organs and the donor card system. However, the current cadaver retrieval rate is low compared with other developed countries, and there remain shortages of many needed organs. In fact, shortages exist in every country. Because of bans on the sale of organs in Europe, Bombay, Hong Kong, and several other cities have become centers of the licit kidney transplant trade. The shortage has led to the proliferation of a black market in organs, and there are several areas where fraudulent claims about available kidneys could be made. Some strategies for increasing the supply of organs include enhancing voluntary organ donation, implementing routine (presumed consent) removals, and offering financial incentives for organ donation. 1 figure and 26 references