Regulated compensation for kidney donors in the Philippines.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this review is to discuss the recent events and experiences in the Philippines related to compensated kidney donation.


RESULTS
Between 2002 and 2008, the Philippine government, through the Department of Health, administered a program called the Philippine Organ Donation Program that allowed prospective kidney providers to sign up, be allocated to prospective recipients and receive gratuities for their kidney. Transplant tourism flourished during this period because of rampant disregard for the regulation limiting foreign recipients to 10% of total kidney transplants. There is evidence of inadequate donor care. Efforts to curb the problem included a ban on foreigners coming to the Philippines to have kidney transplants with Filipinos as donors as well as strengthening of the implementing rules and regulations of both the antihuman trafficking law and the organ donation law that allowed donation after brain death.


CONCLUSIONS
The experience in the Philippines mirrored those in India and Pakistan where paid donors reported poor outcomes. An effective national kidney disease prevention program and the deceased donor program for transplantation should be aggressively promoted. Legislation against transplant commercialism is needed.
Padilla
Benita S
BS
National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Quezon City, Philippines. bspadilla@yahoo.com
D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D035881:Compensation and Redress / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D033161:Government Regulation; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000191:economics / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D019520:Living Donors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D009042:Motivation; D028701:Patient Rights; D010679:Philippines; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014195:Travel