Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism Awareness for the Healthcare Professional

Course overview

In our modern time, we have witnessed great discovery and expansion in the field of transplant medicine, with the first successful kidney transplant taking place in 1954 between identical twins followed by successful heart and liver transplants in 1967. However, the demand for organs, especially kidneys, has also steadily increased. Such a shortage of legal organ donation has led to the establishment of organized criminal networks involved in what is referred to as Organ Trafficking. These networks include brokers, physicians, hospital administrators, nurses, and other health professionals who practice outside of the law. Organ trafficking or trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal is one component of human trafficking. Persons trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual and labor exploitation are often composed of the same vulnerable populations that are victimized by organ trafficking.