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Causes and Effects of Human Organs Trafficking

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Causes and Effects Human Organs Trafficking

Trafficking of human organs such as kidneys, liver, heart, and pancreas is a continuously
growing illegal market globally. With the increase of the unfortunate patient numbers in need of
organ donation on the waiting list, the market is overgrowing (Ravi et al., 2017). Organ brokers
take advantage of patients in urgent need of organ transplants and poor people in need of money.
Notably, for patients to be on the organ waiting list, they must be seriously in need of the organ,
but only a few patients luckily receive an organ donor. Therefore, human organ trafficking is an
illegal trade for organ extraction caused by a lack of knowledge, poverty, and unemployment.
Additionally, there are effects such as health risks, death, mental illness, and violation of human
rights.

Causes of Human Organs Trafficking

Lack of knowledge is one of the causes of human organ trafficking, leaving the victims in
exploitation and regret. For example, when an organ trafficker approaches an inexperienced
person such as a teenager, they easily convince them to take the human organ trafficking job
offer, which seems attractive and a great opportunity (Hopper, 2017). Also, the traffickers take
advantage of foreigners or immigrants in foreign countries unfamiliar with the countries' laws,
language, and rights. They trick the foreigners into participating in their illegal marketing to
benefit themselves and hide their identity.

On the same, people living in poverty and struggle to provide for families, such as single
parents, are in desperate and helpless circumstances to meeting basic family needs. When an
organ trafficker becomes familiar with their situations, they trick them into providing a job that
will resolve their difficulties (Hopper, 2017). Since this opportunity appears to be the only
option, they quickly give in because they are determined to provide for the families.
Additionally, newspapers and blogs manipulate poor people. Organ traffickers advertise on
offering a tremendous amount of money and jobs in foreign countries for anyone willing to
donate their organs.

Moreover, unemployment is another cause of human organ trafficking. Organ traffickers

target unemployed people and deceitfully convince them to leave their homes for job
opportunities in foreign countries (Hopper, 2017). The jobs sound pleasing, but when the person
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arrives at their destination, they find different circumstances from what had been described. To
hinder them from leaving or running away, the organ traffickers confiscate the victim's passports.
Then, they pay for the victims' transport, food, shelter, and clothing to make them feel entirely
obligated to work for them. 

Displacement due to natural disasters or wars is another factor that causes organ
trafficking. People, individuals, and families are separated from their communities and forced to
flee from their homes (Greenbaum et al., 2018). As a result, most of them face financial
difficulties, culture shock, and homelessness. For instance, children who lost parents due to
displacement are the primary targets for human organ traffickers because of their helplessness.
Besides, with no homes and guardians to protect and provide basic needs, they are easily
engaged in organ trafficking.

Furthermore, in some communities' cultural practices causes human organ trafficking.

These communities accept abuse and devaluation of children and women (Greenbaum et al.,
2018). For instance, some parents will be willing to force their daughters into early marriages or
sell them for exploitation in exchange for money. Also, women can decide to leave their homes
if they find themselves devalued to have new work opportunities and start their communities.
Thus, the cultural practices are deeply rooted in the minds of some women and men in various
cultures and create a significant opportunity for human organ traffickers. 

Effects of Human Organ Trafficking

Organ trafficking has adverse effects on both individuals and the community; due to this
criminal action, poor people are robbed of their good health. In addition, the poor individuals are
abducted and trafficked for organ sale only. (Efrat, 2016). In the process, the organ traffickers
misuse them severely to ascertain that they do not betray or expose them, while some traffickers
end the victims' life to avoid leaving any possible proof behind. Moreover, the community is left
behind while going through the psychological trauma of searching for their loved ones.  

In addition, trafficking of organs can lead to health risks of organ functions,

psychological problems, and surgical procedures to both the victim and the recipient. There are
also risks of blood clots, infections, pain, wound complications, and sometimes death (Efrat,
2016). Organ sale also causes mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
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Furthermore, the transplanted organ may not function as expected and will make the recipient
experience anger and regret. Besides, children are orphaned at a young age when parents die due
to organ selling and are left responsible for themselves.

Buying and selling human organs is a huge mistake. The organ market views human parts
as a commodity, dehumanizing and cheapening human relationships (Efrat, 2016). The organ
selling system creates an economic relationship between the seller and the buyer rather than a
charity relationship and raises human quality problems. Furthermore, the market hinders
volunteer donors, ends the self-sacrificing bond between people, and portrays a physical threat
that will demean human bodies to the status of trade articles. To end organ trafficking,
communities should oppose illegal organ marketing and encourage personal willingness to sell or
donate organs to save other people's lives. 

Individuals trafficked for human organs becomes isolated from social groups, friends,
and families. Their emotions of shame or guilt can cause isolation because they had moved to
new places and lived far away from society (Efrat, 2016). Either way, the individuals can be
withdrawn and lose contact with friends. Some victims who luckily return to their homes by
escaping trafficking circumstances may be shut out from social groups because of the stigma
they face. Family and friends can also shut them out and make them feel unwanted, worthless,
and unloved. Unfortunately, the isolation will make the victims vulnerable to trafficking again. 

Possible Solutions

 I propose that people join hands to stop these ongoing horrible practices from happening
to the vulnerable and desperate buyers and sellers of human organs. We need to create
awareness, educate communities about organ trafficking, and provide them with alternative
solutions that will assist both those seeking financial gain by selling organs and patients seeking
the organs to survive (Wilkens, 2018). Awareness will assist in preventing the victims from
black market exploitation and manipulation. On the same, health organizations should firmly be
against any payment of organ donation or selling for medical, moral, and ethical reasons as the
practice defies human rights to security and life. 

More importantly, organ trafficking is a public risk and a crime that forces and misleads
people to sell their body organs and defy their independence. There should be strictly established
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regulated organizations with legal laws, where the desperately poor people can seek answers to
their questions (Wilkens, 2018). They should get accurate information to independently decide
whether to sell or not sell their body organs. The organizations would be the solution to eliminate
black market brokers because they will have no victim to prey on and find other ways of income
apart from deceiving people into organ trafficking.

Additionally, science researched sources of organs are helpful, and where the government
cannot provide adequate organs for transplant, the researched sources are to be utilized. There
are various science procedures, with some being experimental to develop human organs and
tissues to minimize human being donors (Stoklosa et al., 2017). For example, humans and pigs
have similarly shaped organs, which means that it is possible to transplant pig organs into
humans and get positive results. Moreover, with the improvement of recent gene editing, the
technology of transplanting major organs from pigs to humans should be considered as there is
enough proof of transplanting less essential body parts such as the skin. In 2019, Food and Drug
Administration approved the transfer of tissues from pigs to humans, done by Xeno Therapeutics
Company.

Furthermore, we have tissue engineering, which has been practiced for an extended
period in human beings. The process is used to reconstruct damaged muscles caused by accidents
or other significant injuries (Stoklosa et al., 2017). The procedure is that an intracellular matrix is
carefully created from the tissues of the patient then implanted in the area of the wound. But,
there is a problem in this process because most human organs need to have an available position
where intracellular matrices cannot provide. Fortunately, tissue engineering is turning its focus to
3D bioprinting due to its rapid development for better functional tissues, and the technology
allows researchers to create functional human organ replicas. 

Stem cells are another possible solution method where the human organ shortage is
addressed. In explanation, stem cells can differentiate other types of cells in the human body
(Van & Mawere, 2017). Moreover, stem cells are the most adaptable things in the body and are
very intensively researched. Therefore, stem cells procedure can be classified as the most
advanced solution to human organ shortage. For example, research carried out at the University
of Manchester in 2018 managed to create a kidney out of stem cells and fixed it into a mouse.
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The practical was the first time that a resulting organ functioned normally. Therefore we should
embrace stem cells as a possible solution to end-organ trafficking.

However, developing incentives for deceased organ donation is another way to eliminate
the illegal sale of human organs. Payment of the organs is made in exchange for organs through a
legalized free market where the organ price is determined (Van & Mawere, 2017). The financial
incentive collected can be used explicitly for purposes such as health insurance, counseling the
bereaved family, charity contribution, or funeral expenses. Financial incentives should be paid to
the donor before death or family after death, depending on the agreement status of the donor and
recipient. When a family decides to donate the deceased organs, incentives are given to the
family members.

Preventing the need for an organ transplant by researching treatment and prevention
measures of diseases such as hepatitis and diabetes is another possible solution. Patients are
provided with drugs that boost immunity and are taken for a while or a lifetime (Van & Mawere,
2017). The patient needs to be advised on maintaining all doctors' appointments for regular
checkups, take the prescribed drugs, and continuously undergo the recommended lab tests.
Again, it will be advisable to have a professional pharmacist who will help the patient understand
their medications, educate the patient on side effects, help them know how the medicine works,
and assist in the medication schedule.

Conclusion

In conclusion, no one can buy life, but people turn into the black market to violate human
rights due to victims' vulnerabilities. Human organ trafficked victims are left to live with
incomplete body parts, which leads them to psychological trauma. Governments, health
organizations, and societies should condemn and utilize the available solutions to eliminate the
illegal sale of human organs. They should also legalize the free market for individuals willing to
sell their organs, whether alive or after death, to save other people's lives. Additionally, creating
awareness on the impacts of human organ trafficking will rapidly minimize the illegal practice.
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References

Efrat, A. (2016). Global efforts against human trafficking: The misguided conflation of sex,
labor, and organ trafficking. International Studies Perspectives, 17(1), 34-54.
https://academic.oup.com/isp/article-abstract/17/1/34/1813351

Greenbaum, V. J., Titchen, K., Walker-Descartes, I., Feifer, A., Rood, C. J., & Fong, H. F.
(2018). Multi-level prevention of human trafficking: the role of health care
professionals. Preventive medicine, 114, 164-167.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743518302135

Hopper, E. K. (2017). Trauma-informed psychological assessment of human trafficking

survivors. Women & Therapy, 40(1-2), 12-30.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02703149.2016.1205905

Ravi, A., Pfeiffer, M. R., Rosner, Z., & Shea, J. A. (2017). Trafficking and Trauma. Medical
care, 55(12), 1017-1022.
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wk/mcar/2017/00000055/00000012/art00019

Stoklosa, H., Showalter, E., Melnick, A., & Rothman, E. F. (2017). Health care providers'
experience with a protocol for the identification, treatment, and referral of human-
trafficking victims. Journal of Human Trafficking, 3(3), 182-192.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23322705.2016.1194668

Van Reisen, M., & Mawere, M. (2017). Human trafficking and trauma in the digital era. Langaa
Rpcig.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mirjam_Reisen/publication/316989834_Human_Tra
fficking_and_Trauma_in_the_Digital_Era_The_Ongoing_Tragedy_of_the_Trade_in_Ref
ugees_from_Eritrea/links/5cc81da6a6fdcc1d49b9dc29/Human-Trafficking-and-Trauma-
in-the-Digital-Era-The-Ongoing-Tragedy-of-the-Trade-in-Refugees-from-Eritrea.pdf

Wilkens, K. (2018). The True Cost of Selling Your Organs on Egypt's Illegal Black
Market. Journal of International Business and Law, 17(2), 6.
https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1340&context=jibl