Kidney trafficking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Kidney trafficking - Essay Example In many of the wealthier nations of the world, there are increasing numbers of citizens who are succumbing to bodily disorders that are related with affluence. For example, Type II Diabetes can result from gaining excessive weight. This disease could easily weaken the normal functioning of body organs such as the kidneys. The demand for kidneys has thus increased in many Western nations. Moreover, there are few donors of these precious organs. Many Western hospitals have long waiting lists of patients who have to survive through dialysis until they benefit from an organ. Their desperation spawns the activities of international criminal organizations that deal in the trade of organ transplants. Even though the trade in human organs remains illegal in many nations, the demand for these organs, particularly by wealthy people who are ready to part with exorbitant amounts of money to acquire them keeps the trade alive. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2007, approximately 15% of all the 63,000 kidney transplants that took place in various nations around the world involved financial payment between poor donors who were not related and rich patients from developed nations (Budiani-Saberi & Delmonico, 2008). This would be arranged by members of trafficking organizations who brokered the entire process. Usually, when kidney or other transplants occur, the organs will be acquired from deceased or living donors. Different nations have different laws on the waiting time for any human organ that is removed from a corpse. Moreover, most kidney patients are willing to receive a kidney from either a cadaver or a living person; and only insist on doctors ensuring that the organ is healthy. According to Budiani-Saberi & Delmonico (2008) 65,000 Americans in 2007 alone were documented in the kidney transplant waiting list. Even though there have been concerted efforts to increase the incidence s of live organ as well as cadaver donations,