The criminal masterminds behind the illegal trade of human body parts raked in $2.3 billion around the globe last year.
About 12,000 organs were sold on the black market, and while the majority of those exchanges involved kidneys, 654 hearts and 2,615 livers were sold for up to $394,000 each.
That illegal trade will continue to grow if the Australian Government does not do more to deter human organ trafficking, according to a unanimous report handed down by a parliamentary committee.
About 1,400 Australians are currently waiting for an organ transplant, while a further 11,000 are on kidney dialysis, and the committee found if the government failed to address the gap between the number of people requiring organ transplants and the limited supply of freely donated organs, the black market would keep flourishing.
Commercial organ market
| Organ |
Global illicit transplants (per annum) |
Price range (AUD) |
| Kidney | 7,995 | $68,000 - $163,000 |
| Liver | 2,615 | $134,000 - $197,000 |
| Heart | 654 | $176,000 - $394,000 |
| Lung | 469 | $203,000 - $394,000 |
| Pancreas | 233 | $149,000 - $190,000 |
The chairman of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Liberal MP Kevin Andrews, told Parliament the average waiting time for a kidney in Australia was three years.
"Desperate people often facing certain death without a transplant may travel far from their own countries to places such as Egypt, the Philippines or Pakistan, paying tens of thousands of dollars or more, for an organ transplant, where the donor is most likely in dire financial straits, possibly exploited, and unable to give free and informed consent to donation," Mr Andrews said.
Cutting down demand
The committee's report recommended the Australian Government pursue a range of measures to strengthen its involvement in international efforts to combat human organ trafficking, collect data on Australians involved in illegal organ trafficking overseas and also tighten criminal laws around organ harvesting.
It also concluded the Government should seek to improve organ-donation rates through ongoing funding of programs, education awareness campaigns, and the investigation of other international programs — such as opt-out organ donation.
Mr Andrews said the committee heard from many people who argued protections against the practice needed to be strengthened.
"Their evidence was consistent, organ trafficking is a violation of the rights and dignity of people and Australia must do more to stop people in our community traveling overseas to support it," he said.
The Government is yet to respond to the report.
