Compensated kidney donation:an ethical review of the Iranian model

Compensated kidney donation:an ethical review of the Iranian model

Bagheri, Alireza

2006/09/00

English

20060900

Iran has had a program of compensated kidney donation from living unrelated (LUR) donors since 1997. The aim of the program was to address the increasing demand for kidney transplantation in a morally sound manner. The program was successful in terms of increasing the number of kidneys available for transplantation. This paper presents a critical review of the program and its ethical status. Denying organ donors legitimate compensation because of the understandable fear of an organ trade is not morally justifiable, and the Iranian model of compensated LUR kidney donation offers substantial benefits that overcome these concerns. Despite its benefits, the program lacks secure measures to prevent the risk of a direct monetary relationship between donors and recipients, and it must be revised in order to be morally justifiable.

19.5

19.5;19.3

kidneys--[pri];living donors--[pri];organ donation--[pri];organ transplantation--[pri];policy analysis--[pri];remuneration--[pri];transplant recipients--[pri]

altruism;ethical relativism;moral policy;renal disease

Iran

Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal2006 September; 16(3): 269-282

journal

25 refs

10546863 (print)