Organ Trade

Organ trade constitutes the sale and purchase of organs for financial or material gain. Although prohibited since the 1980s, an increasing number of reports indicate its proliferation across the globe. Yet, many knowledge gaps exist on organ trade, in particular on the demand -and facilitation side of the trade.

This thesis addresses the following aims:
1 Provide insight into the scale of patients who buy organs for transplantation and describe why, where, how and from whom they purchased organs
2 Acquire knowledge and understanding of the experiences, attitudes, behaviors and needs of transplant professionals who treat patients before and/or after they buy organs
3 Examine the modus operandi of those who facilitate illegal transplantations and study the investigation and prosecution of organ trade networks
4 Assess the possible implications of a punitive, legislative approach
5 Propose alternative strategies that may deter organ trade more effectively

Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, the objective is not only to acquire a better empirical understanding of organ trade, but to use this knowledge to explore and encourage strategies that may eliminate-or regulate-the trade more effectively with lesser risk of harms.