0729 - Your kidney on eBay - AHF

Question 1

What is the organ trade?

Answer 1

The selling and buying of orders; has been termed “the new cannibalism”; good example of commodification; the shortage of donated organs continues to grow as demand explodes; e.g. 5 - 10% of kidney transplants use kidneys illicitly sourced.

Question 2

How does the organ trade work?

Answer 2

• person with kidney failure is on waiting list; feels is waiting too long
• kidney broker deals with seller and takes cut
• recipient comes from overseas and goes to transplant hospital
• recipient may believe that seller receives significantly more money than they do
• seller and recipient are operated on together

Question 3

Outline some arguments for the organ trade.

Answer 3

• recipient’s “right to good health”
• seller’s “right to enter commercial transaction”; a person’s organs belong to them and should be able to do with them as they wish
• altruism argument
• shortage of organs available for transplantation is so great that radical solutions for getting additional organs are needed, and if paying form them will result in more organs, then this is justified

Question 4

Outline some arguments against the organ trade.

Answer 4

• human rights (occurs in context of great inequality, in which one person’s quality of life is discounted in favour for another’s)
• selling of organs leads to the commodification of human bodies
• exploitation of the poor for the benefit of the rich

Question 5

Define commodification.

Answer 5

Commodification is the transformation of goods and services, as well as ideas or other entities that normally may not be considered goods, into a commodity; the transformation of formerly non-commercial social relationships into commercial relationships; relationships of buying and selling; e.g. harvesting body parts to sell (the organ trade).

• not commodification until money is exchanged for the good; even if there is a big power differential

Question 6

Outline some factors involved in commodification.

Answer 6

• Cartesian cogito (“I think, therefore I am”; separation of mind and body)
• economic and social inequality
• technological advances:
• organ transplant technology
• anti-rejection technology
• artificial organs which prolong life but impact on its quality (e.g. dialysis)
• ?an organ with a duplicate

Question 7

What can (do) countries do to stop the organ trade?

Answer 7

• make the trading of organs illegal
• pursue artificial organs
• international watch organisations
• harmonised policy on transplant tourism
• set up more open transactions in rich countries? (Regulate the market)

Question 8

Briefly explain the organ trade in Iran.

Answer 8

• organ trade has been legal for 20 years
• 2 charity organisations oversee the procurement
• government and purchaser pay the vendor (approx. $4000)
• but individuals try to undercut the system, and offer private sales for cheaper prices
• there are no waiting lists