Should Organ Donations be Mandatory?

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Should Organ Donations be Mandatory?
Technological advancements have revolutionized many industries in the contemporary world. Organ transplantation is among the areas that have been revolutionized by technology in the medical field. It has become increasingly safe, effective, and common for patients to receive organs from other individuals when diagnosed with defective organs such as kidneys, heart, and lungs. As Hvidt asserts, organ transplantation is nothing short of a life-saving procedure that has revolutionized modern medicine. However, the procedure suffers a major issue regarding the shortage of donor organs (10). A study by Hvidt shows that about 120 000 individuals are on the waiting list for donor organs, with 21 of these patients dying daily to a lack of donor organs (1). The issue exacerbates even further when the global perspective is considered. This flagrant need for donor organs worldwide can be resolved by making organ donation mandatory for all individuals.
Compulsory organ donation would significantly increase the pool of donor organs worldwide. The current rate of organ donation around the world is low. Spain is rated first as the nation with a high organ donation rate estimated at 35 per million population (Caplan 1182). This is followed by the United States, which has a rate of 26 per million, with some states recording a higher rate, and the third is Canada, with 15 per million, which is similar to Australia (Caplan 1182). These rates are too low to satisfy the global need for donor organs. These reduced rates of organ donation are linked to the issues of slowed organ transplantation processes as many people remain on the waiting list and the high cost of transplantation procedures due to scarcity. Making organ donation compulsory would increase the number of viable donor organs available for transplantation procedures. This would reduce donor organ scarcity and thus reduce the cost and transplantation durations.
Implementing compulsory organ donation can also help reduce the global issue of illegal human trafficking. Illicit organ transplantation is among the factors that contribute to human trafficking. According to Gonzalez, 10 percent of all donor organs worldwide are a result of illegal human trafficking (2). These statistics were validated in the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) findings that 40 million individuals were victims of human trafficking in 2018, and 10 percent were linked to illegal organs trafficking (Gonzalez 1). One of the established causes of illegal organ trafficking is the high demand for donor organs. Some rich individuals worldwide are willing to pay han...