The numbers of the organ market

One every hour. It is not the frequency of glasses of water we should drink during the day, but the estimate of how many kidneys have gone through the illegal market. Although the kidneys are the organs most commercialized, are no less the liver, the heart, the lungs and the pancreas. 

The market revolves around the question of the richest countries and the supply in developing countries. Although there is often a widespread culture and laws are adequate to support this act important in rich countries has increased the life time and with it grew conditions such as diabetes and heart problems, so that the demand for organs is not able to be met within national borders. 

Only in Italy, for example, on average it is still a waiting list for 3 years. And it is possible to estimate the size of the phenomenon, considering that Italy has made only 2.5% of transplants occurred worldwide. According to the evaluation of the Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation, each year, only 10% of people waiting manages to get the body in need. 

Who are the stakeholders from poor countries to rich countries 

The story of a body ended up in the illegal market may start from a smuggler who forces or deceives his victim, which eventually gives up his body. In some cases, the trafficker promises a reward for the organ in question, but then the money does not arrive or is less than what was agreed. 

In fact, 93% of those who have sold an organ to pay off a debt he was unable to do so, and 85% of people said they had not improved their economic condition after the sale. 

The "donor" organs are often the most vulnerable, immigrants, homeless, illiterate: it is easy to diagnose a disease that does not exist, then subtract organs without their knowledge. Of course, to be able to set in motion a machine of this type, we need well-structured criminal organization involving conveyors, medical staff and hospital specialized intermediaries. 

Turnover 

With the exception of Iran, in no state is permitted to sell organs. But if you look at the percentage of living donors for kidney and liver, one wonders if some countries the donation is an act spontaneous and free. For example, in the kidney, it is estimated that there were 20,000 living donors and at least half of these would have been the victim of illegal trafficking.

The turnover for the trafficking of organs is estimated between 438 and 876 million euro, although not all of this money comes certainly in the hands of the seller of the organ in question. Who needs an organ to continue to live, it is often willing to spend up to € 145,000. The victims instead of cashing them a quarter, on average 3650 euro. 

The gain for sellers is not the same for all countries, depending on the nationality is different the amount you can earn from the sale of an organ. To compare the gain between the various countries, the figure can be compared with the gross domestic product per capita, although the estimate is not as precise as the money is often not uniformly distributed within the population.

It is usually a person of the Western countries who goes in search of bodies in countries like India, China or Pakistan. Often, however, the distinction is not so clear: the countries where the social gap is very high, both have their own internal criminal organizations that deal with the illicit sales, and buyers in higher income brackets. Then the crisis has not spared Eastern Europe and according to the European Council, including Italy, Greece and Spain are not immune from the sale of organs. 

In Europe, countries that solve the problem of shortage of organ donors are buying Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany. Wading to the other continents, we are the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the richest classes of countries like rabia Arabia, Oman and Israel.

Medical problems 

But there is not only a problem of ethics or social injustice, crime trading organs hapesanti consequences on health, not only the donor but also in the receiving subject. A person who decides to donate an organ while it is still alive, is always evaluated from the point of view of medical and psychological. According to the site Explore transplants, the risk that a healthy donor will experience complications following the surgery is less than 5%, while the risk of death is 1% of cases. 

According to the study, "Transplant Tourism: The Ethics and Regulation of International Markets for Organs" by Glenn Cohe, in the case of illegal vendors, are between 58 and 86% of the people who have sold an organ to perceive a deterioration in their own state health. Depression, anxiety, fatigue, inability to work long hours are the most common effects that occur in those who underwent removal of an organ. 

But the side effects are not just for the victims. Often those who buy an organ then a high incidence of post-operative complications, rejections and infections are also a major cause of death. 33% of patients who underwent a transplant illegal to be hospitalized; 70% develop postoperative complications and 52% of serious infections (such as tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis, and fungal infections, which sometimes cause death). 

Were you affected by these data? Know that, although they have been collected from many sources reviewed and studied by international agencies, they merely photographing incompletely the phenomenon of trafficking of organs which - as illegal - has no interest in revealing the scope of your organization.