The Invisible Issue of Organ Laundering

Mark Monaghan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Global institutions, although suggesting measures to deter organ trafficking, reiterate the lack of official statistics about this illegal trade. In this article, we explore the reasons why organ trafficking remains unreported. We argue that the complex factors that perpetuate invisibility facilitate trafficked organs being "laundered" in the health care systems of the purchaser's country, hindering accurate estimation of the problem. The factors are as follows: (a) issues of globalization, jurisdiction, and law enforcement; (b) the power of health care professionals; (c) the reimbursement of transplantation costs abroad by insurers; (d) ambivalence of the victim status of the sellers; and (e) the buyers as vulnerable offenders.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)600-603
JournalTransplantation
Volume98
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 27 Sept 2014

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