COFS is a non-profit international health and human rights organization committed to combating the trafficking of humans for organs and ending the exploitation of the poor as a source of organ and tissue supplies.  COFS combines prevention, policy advocacy, and survivor support through a comprehensive approach to combat organ trafficking.   Join us today to volunteer, support survivors, and build the movement.

Emerging Cases of Organ Trafficking in the Middle East Attract Global Attention

12 October, 2009

AlJazeera (English) covers emerging cases of organ trafficking in the Middle East and consults with COFS' Director about the regional situation.

COFS Opposes Draft Legislation in the U.S. that would Permit Material Compensation for Organ Donation- June 2009

In recent months, Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pennsylvania) has circulated at least five drafts of a proposed bill which would enable U.S. government entities to provide material compensation for organ donation. The current draft of this bill commendably also includes clauses to combat organ
trafficking in an effort to distinguish regulated from unregulated organ markets. However, a
provision of material compensation to organ “donors” would dissolve a central feature ofthe National Organ Transplantation Act (NOTA) that prohibits the buying and selling of human organs for transplantation. COFS maintains the position that material incentives for organ donation lead to violations of human rights, and present ethical, social, strategic and economic problems.
Material incentives inevitably take unfair advantage of the poor and vulnerable who would
otherwise not consider resorting to a commercial living organ donation. Employing material
inducement to procure organs from a certain segment of a population may also damage society's
trust in medicine and transplantation and simultaneously undermine efforts to secure and
enhance altruistic donation. Accordingly, COFS is conducting a campaign to oppose this bill. COFS' Director Dr. Debra Budiani-Saberi and Board Member Deborah Golden published a white paper via the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy to elaborate this opposition. Read more>>>

COFS has advanced collaborative projects with the Ulema (Islamic clerics) to combat organ trafficking. COFS and various groups of ulema are working towards operationalizing the ulema's influence to create awareness of fatawa (Islamic declarations) that deem the buying and selling of organs as haram (sinful) in the Islamic world. Projects are targeted for at-risk communities as well as the general public to address concerns around organ trafficking and transplants more generally.

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Kabir Karim, COFS-Egypt Program Manager, and Sheikh Yasser plan collaboration of COFS with ulema leaders to combat organ trafficking

UN Recognizes Organ Trafficking in its Global Initiative to Fight Trafficking (UNGIFT) - February 2008

The UNODC paid recognition to the trafficking of humans for organs in its recent global forum to Fight Human Trafficking. Although this issue has been included in its Protocol against Human Trafficking, an unprecedented panel was hosted at the Vienna Forum in which experts reviewed various aspects of trafficking for the purpose of removal of organs, including a review of cases. Panelists included COFS' Director Dr. Debra Budiani, Captain Louis Helberg of the South African Police Service; Dr. Nancy Sheper-Hughes of the University of California, Berkeley USA, and Maria Amihan Valles Abueva of the ECPAT, Asia Against Child Trafficking (ASIA ACTs). Comments were made by Nicole Maric of the UNODC and Luc Noel of the WHO. The discussion addressed assessing the problem, the detection, investigation and prosecution of cases, as well as measures for prevention and outreach.

COFS Partners with AYB-SD to Enhance Economic Empowerment Outreach Services - February 2008

COFS and the Alashanek ya Baladi Association for Sustainable Development have partnered to enhance COFS' economic empowerment outreach services to its beneficiaries. Accordingly, AYB-SD will extend its programs to the CLDs and potential CLDs that COFS identifies and who have expressed their need to participate in such assistance programs.

COFS Partners with AYB-SD to Enhance Economic Empowerment Outreach Services - February 2008

COFS and the Alashanek ya Baladi Association for Sustainable Development have partnered to enhance COFS' economic empowerment outreach services to its beneficiaries. Accordingly, AYB-SD will extend its programs to the CLDs and potential CLDs that COFS identifies and who have expressed their need to participate in such assistance programs.

COFS Continues Efforts to Establish a National Transplantation Law in Egypt - May 2007

In addition to the facilitation of the Egyptian Strategic Group on Organ Transplants (ESGOT) to enhance the transplant legal structure in Egypt, COFS has expanded its efforts with other medical professional leaders who share this aim.  In an allied effort with UNOS via its immediate past president, Dr. Francis Delmonico, COFS facilitated Dr. Delmonico's initial visit to Egypt to assess the potential for UNOS' provision of technical assistance in the development of an Egyptian registry for transplants.  UNOS is considering providing this assistance upon the request of the Egyptian Society of Nephrology's (ESN) and Roche Pharmaceuticals.  UNOS' assistance is also contingent upon the establishment of an appropriate legal framework for transplants- particularly a framework that prevents commercial living donorship and assures national oversight of transplant practices.  Dr. Delmonico, a Professor of Surgery at Harvard University, is now the Director of Medical Affairs of the international Transplantation Society and an Advisor of Human Transplantation to the WHO. read more >>>

COFS Participates in Libyan Initiative to Advance Deceased Donation May 2007

In an effort to enhance national self-sufficiency in organ supplies and curb patients from resorting to transplant tourism, Libyan transplant officials commenced a national initiative to establish organ donation from the deceased. This effort followed the passing of a national law to permit deceased donation in Libya in March 2007. Dr. Ehtuish Farag Ehtuish, the Director of the Libyan National Transplantation program, organized a conference with transplant doctors in Libya to advance this initiative.  read more >>>.

COFS Participates in WHO's Second Global Consultation on Organ Transplants March 2007

In attendance with international experts on organ transplants and trafficking, COFS' Executive Director, Dr. Debra Budiani, was invited to take part in theWorld Health Organization's (WHO) Second Global Consultation onOrganTransplants.  The group included representatives from  Africa, Asia, theMiddle East, Europe and the Americas and worked to update WHO's guidelineson transplants of organs, cells, and tissues for theWorld Health Assembly (WHA) to review inMay 2008.

COFS Invited to Present its Work and Study’s Findings at Regional WHO and MESOT Meetings, Kuwait, November 2006

COFS’ Executive Director, Dr. Debra Budiani, was invited to participate in theWorld HealthOrganization (WHO) regional meetings November 25 and 26 andthe meetings of the Middle East Society of Organ Transplants (MESOT) . read more >>

WHO-EMRO Supports COFS July 2006

The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) of the World Health Organization (WHO) granted institutional support to COFS for its work on combating organ trafficking in the region.  WHO and COFS' share commitments to protecting the poor and vulnerable from exploitation for human tissues and organs as well as  long-term follow up of living donors.

COFS Facilitates Pioneering Donor Support Groups

Beginning in July, 2006, COFS outreach staff have facilitated support group meetings per the request of commercial living organ donors and victims of organ theft.  Participants have ranged from those who “donated” an organ 10 years ago to those who were still in recovery from their donation.  The meetings provoked extensive narratives and discussion on misconceptions about what the donation experience would involve, donors’ fears of eventual health outcomes, compromised ability to carry out labor-intensive activities and compromises in income, difficulties or inability of explaining their experience to loved ones, and long-term psychological distress from the donation.  A trained psychologist also provided group therapeutic  intervention and several participants requested private therapy sessions.  The meetings provide the first chance for many commercial living organ donors to meet other commercial living organ donors and obtain peer support about their donation experiences.

COFS Expands Partnerships with Civil Society Groups November 2006

COFS has recently expanded its partnerships in Bahrain, India, Nepal, and Pakistan with various civil society groups who share COFS Mission.  Read More.

COFS and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights Build Partnership November 2006

COFS and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) partner to address the situation of transplants in Bahrain and the Gulf region.  Conditions of poor or no access to organs for transplant facilitate the production of transplant tourism for commercial living donorship as a human rights concern.  COFS and BCHR strategize to promote alternative sources of organ supplies in Bahrain and the region to curb transplant tourism for organs abroad, largely in Asia.    BCHR is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the promotion of democracy and the protection of human rights.  BCHR’s Vice President Nabeel Rajab and Executive Director Dr. Debra Budiani conducted meetings recently in Manama, Bahrain and Bangkok, Thailand to establish the parternship and begin developing a framework for advocacy.

Media Stories:

GULF DAILY NEWS - 18 November, 2006
BAHRAIN TRIBUNE- 18 December, 2006

COFS Facilitates Key Actors Meetings in Egypt December 2006

COFS, in collaboration with partner groups the Association for Health and Environmental Development (AHED) and the People's Health Movement (PHM), conducted the first of a series of meetings with key actors in Cairo in order to discuss creating alternatives for organ supply sources in Egypt that do not rely on commercial living donors.  read more >>

COFS Invited to Speak about COFS Outreach and Prevention Work at the 8th Annual Southwest Nephrology Conference (United States) October 2006

COFS’ has been invited to speak about its donor outreach services and prevention projects at the 8^th Annual Southwest Nephrology Conference in Phoenix, Arizona February 23 and 24, 2007.  These meetings are sponsored by the Arizona Kidney Foundation and the Mayo Clinic.  COFS’ Executive Director, Dr. Budiani will discuss global trafficking of human organs and COFS work to combat this problem and secure alternative sources of organ and tissue supply policies.

COFS Participates in Conference on Islam and Bioethics March 2006

COFS' Advisory Council member Dr. Othman Shibley and Executive Director Dr. Debra Budiani participated in an international multi-disciplinary conference to explore the emerging field of Islamic bioethics and to highlight the diversity of methodologies and practices that the field encompasses.  The conference entitled, Islam and Bioethics: Concerns, Challenges, and Responses, was held at the Penn State campus with international broadcasts made via the  conference website.