WHO Says Countries Should Be Self-Sufficient In (Unremunerated) Organs And Blood

16 Pages Posted: 26 Aug 2024

See all articles by Kimberly D. Krawiec

Kimberly D. Krawiec

University of Virginia School of Law

Alvin E. Roth

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Dept. of Economics, Stanford University

Date Written: August 24, 2024

Abstract

This chapter critiques the twin World Health Organization (WHO) principles of self-sufficiency and nonremuneration in organs and blood, urging a more sensible approach to the scarce resources of blood products and transplantable organs. WHO and other experts have failed to acknowledge the tension between self-sufficiency and nonremuneration in blood products--no country that fails to pay plasma donors is self-sufficient. Furthermore, international cooperation and cross-border transplantation provide numerous benefits, especially in smaller countries and those without well-developed domestic exchange programs. The combination of these twin principles denies to health care many of the benefits that trade has brought to so many other human endeavors and the effects are particularly damaging to low and middle income countries. Substances of human origin are special, but not so special that we prohibit plasma or organ donation. We should be open to exploring and experimenting with ways to bring to health care some of the benefits that trade has brought to so many other human endeavors, such as the production and distribution of food and lifesaving vaccines and other medicines.

Suggested Citation

Krawiec, Kimberly D. and Roth, Alvin E. and Roth, Alvin E., WHO Says Countries Should Be Self-Sufficient In (Unremunerated) Organs And Blood (August 24, 2024). Virginia Public Law and Legal Theory Research Paper No. 2024-58 , Virginia Law and Economics Research Paper No. 2024-26 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4935827 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4935827

Kimberly D. Krawiec (Contact Author)

University of Virginia School of Law ( email )

580 Massie Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903
United States

Alvin E. Roth

Dept. of Economics, Stanford University ( email )

Landau Economics Building
579 Serra Mall
STANFORD, CA 94305-6072
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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