The commercialization of human organs for transplantation: the current status of the ethical debate

Public Moralities Concerning Donation and Disposition of Organs: Results from a Cross-European Study

There are not many international consensuses in the governance of biomedicine. One that exists concerns a general reluctance toward a commercialization of organ procurement. However, with reference to the problem of “organ scarcity,” there is an increasingly louder call in ethical and legal discourse to “give urgent consideration to any option that may make up the shortfall,” and to establish a debate on financial incentives “without any taboos.” Other ethicists and jurists criticize this development, and warn of injustice, exploitation of the poor, and a commodification of the human body.