Organ Trade in Iran
What is organ trafficking? * Trade involving inner human organs (heart, liver, kidneys) * For organ transplants * Illegal in all countries except Iran
BACKGROUND IN IRAN: * Takes from both cadavers (13%) & donors * Law was passed in 2000 * Iranians cannot sell to non-citizens
HOW: * Find donor/seller * Some people advertise their kidneys by writing their blood type and phone number on walls opposite major hospitals in graffiti style * OR * Non-profit charity organizations finds best matches and introduces them to the patients * Donor is then compensated by both the government and the recipient
WHY?: * Poverty * Being paid around $2,000 to $4,000 for a kidney * Compare this to it being sold in the black-market: $160,000
CONTROVERSY: * Iran is an Islamic country * One hand: Islam encourages helping others & saving lives * On the other: Vital organs cannot be donated before death, other organs are permitted but it should not be harmful to the donor. (Donor & recipient consent are necessary).
CONSEQUENCES/EFFECTS: * GOOD: Does not have a waiting list (US >100,000 on waiting list in 2010, in Iran it was eliminated in 1999); (30,000 US patients w kidney failure have died waiting for an organ that never arrived). * Does not have a shortage of available organs (whereas it is actually a universal problem) * Better than making it illegal: hospitals pays medical expenses of the transplant * BAD: A lot of competition for those selling kidneys * Long term outcomes for the seller are not yet known in the long run (as it is quite a recent system); price will keep decreasing to the point where there is no value * Ages between 20-30: young & uneducated about the risks * Health after donation? (Living with one kidney); (Often not given proper care & don’t receive follow
BACKGROUND IN IRAN: * Takes from both cadavers (13%) & donors * Law was passed in 2000 * Iranians cannot sell to non-citizens
HOW: * Find donor/seller * Some people advertise their kidneys by writing their blood type and phone number on walls opposite major hospitals in graffiti style * OR * Non-profit charity organizations finds best matches and introduces them to the patients * Donor is then compensated by both the government and the recipient
WHY?: * Poverty * Being paid around $2,000 to $4,000 for a kidney * Compare this to it being sold in the black-market: $160,000
CONTROVERSY: * Iran is an Islamic country * One hand: Islam encourages helping others & saving lives * On the other: Vital organs cannot be donated before death, other organs are permitted but it should not be harmful to the donor. (Donor & recipient consent are necessary).
CONSEQUENCES/EFFECTS: * GOOD: Does not have a waiting list (US >100,000 on waiting list in 2010, in Iran it was eliminated in 1999); (30,000 US patients w kidney failure have died waiting for an organ that never arrived). * Does not have a shortage of available organs (whereas it is actually a universal problem) * Better than making it illegal: hospitals pays medical expenses of the transplant * BAD: A lot of competition for those selling kidneys * Long term outcomes for the seller are not yet known in the long run (as it is quite a recent system); price will keep decreasing to the point where there is no value * Ages between 20-30: young & uneducated about the risks * Health after donation? (Living with one kidney); (Often not given proper care & don’t receive follow