The Market for Human Organs

Sandra AbdelmalakStephanie ChenJenny Young

HOW would this market work? Like markets for semen, human

eggs, and surrogate wombs. Free market

sales by living donors sales of future interests in organs to be removed on the death of the

donors sales of organs of a recently

deceased person by the family of the deceased

In a market…

The demand curve is likely to be relatively inelastic. 

The quantity supplied is more likely to be responsive to changes in price. 

Why ISN’T there a market for organs already?

Uniform Anatomical Gift Act put the government in charge of organ transplantation

National Organ Transplant Act in 1984 banned the sale of human organs from either dead or living donors in the United States.

WHY is there a need for a market?

1. Limit of supply/SHORTAGE

2. Number of donors falling/lack of incentives

3. Eliminate black markets

4,000 will die waiting 1,200 will become too sick and develop

complications making it impossible to endure a transplant

Kidneys needed Kidneys transplanted

Ratio

75,000 18,000 1/4

6647

6563

6520

6540

6560

6580

6600

6620

6640

6660

Number ofLivingKidneyDonors

2004 2005

according to a 2006 Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients report

According to the nonprofit United Network for Organ Sharing [UNOS]

Despite increases, an average of 15 people still die every day waiting for an organ

1991 2001

55,382 75,863

Number of women and children on the national organ

transplantation waiting list

1989 2000

4,011 5,984

Cadaveric Donors

1989 2000

1,918 5,532

Living Donors

according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HSS]

ISSUES with the market of organs

Ethical Issues

defining death Organ allocation

amongst patients

Organs for prisoners

religious controversy

Political Issues

exploiting the poor

benefiting the rich

Human Rights Issues

the danger of selling organs using the organs of executed

prisoners who should be allowed to sell

their organs

OTHER problems with a market

Organ Theft Practice of illicitly removing/stealing

people's organs via surgery or in their death for further purposes

Almost become a “spoil of war” for those in China, India, etc.

Many horror stories surrounding this.

Black Market Why? Not enough

supply to meet demand.

Illegal but is thriving

Huge demand for organs increases its prices

provide organs to wealthy, but it’s the poor who sell

Online human organ sales Buyers and sellers

who could reach mutually agreeable prices over internet could eliminate shortage – Steve Dasbach

More lives can be saved (hypothetically)

Banned, ex: eBAY

Reasons that the Market CAN Work! In countries like India and Brazil, people

sell their organs which generate a high demand. No one wants to sit on a hospital bed waiting when they can just BUY their ticket home!

Transplant Tourism

Reasons the Market Might NOT Work! In January 2006, Iowa

passed legislation allowing income-tax credit when donating

BUT! Only 13 percent of donors said an income-tax credit was a reason for their donations, according to a study from Canada's National Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating.

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90632108

Sally Satel, a psychiatrist and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who received a kidney from a friend in 2006, says:

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90632108

James Childress, professor of ethics at the University of Virginia and chairman of the Institute of Medicine committee that produced the 2006 report "Organ Donation: Opportunities for Action," says:

Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90632108

Francis Delmonico, professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and adviser to the World Health Organization on transplantation, says: