Organ trafficking and transplant tourism: a commentary on the global realities.
The extent of organ sales from commercial living donors (CLDs) or vendors has now become evident. At the Second Global Consultation on Human Transplantation of the World Health Organization's (WHO) in March 2007, it was estimated that organ trafficking accounts for 5-10% of the kidney transplants performed annually throughout the world. Patients with sufficient resources in need of organs may travel from one country to another to purchase a kidney (or liver) mainly from a poor person. Transplant centers in 'destination' countries have been well known to encourage the sale of organs to 'tourist' recipients from the 'client' countries.
Budiani-Saberi
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Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. debra@cofs.org
Delmonico
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D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014180:Transplantation / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014195:Travel