BURT CALLS FOR AN END TO ILLEGAL ORGAN TRADE

11.03.20pm GMT Mon 12th Mar 2007

Solihull's MP, Lorely Burt has joined forces with LibDem MP, John Barrett to co-sponsor his motion in parliament challenging the Government to take urgent action to clamp down on the growing problem of organ trafficking in developing countries.

Although outlawed in many countries, recent reports have highlighted a worrying growth in the international trade of human organs on the black market.

In some of the poorest areas of Pakistan the sale of organs is a lucrative business with many agencies openly advertising their services on the internet. Vulnerable people are increasingly pressured to sell their organs for relatively small amounts of money, which then fetch thousands of pounds on the black market.

Lorely Burt said:

"The current situation cannot be tolerated. The sale of human organs is inhumane and unethical.

"The trade in illegal organs exploits the most vulnerable people in some of the world's poorest countries where criminal organisations are ruthlessly exploiting the gap between organ supply and demand.

"The underlying cause of organ trafficking is a lack of available organs. More than 7,000 people in the UK are currently waiting for an organ transplant but less than 3,000 transplants are carried out each year due to a lack of available donors.

"It is far preferable to encourage legal and legitimate organ donation on a voluntary basis where safe and appropriate. I have carried a donor card myself for the past twenty years and would encourage others to support the NHS organ donor campaign. By doing this we can ensure that the UK is not making the situation worse.

"Meanwhile, we will be appealing for our Government to work with international partners to take urgent steps to clamp down on the deeply exploitative trade of organs worldwide."