| Kidney Donors and Organ Shortage

It is indeed hard not to feel a certain sadness reading arguments for legalising the sale of kidneys that rely more on provocation than on engagement with how healthcare systems actually work in the UK (The big idea: Should ⁣we sell our kidneys?, 25 January).

Kidney failure is devastating, ⁣and⁢ the shortage of‍ donor organs costs lives. About 7,000 people‍ in the UK are currently waiting for a kidney transplant,and six people die every week while waiting. It is therefore concerning to read an argument that implicitly accepts⁢ continued late‍ diagnosis of kidney disease and progression to kidney failure as an inevitability,rather ⁢than recognising the⁣ urgent need to raise awareness of kidney disease ⁢and prioritise its prevention before lives reach crisis point.

Furthermore,the notion that altruism in the UK has reached its limits,justifying a legal market for human organs,is not supported by public attitudes,social evidence or ethics.

Kidney disease, and access to care, are already shaped by ‍inequality.⁤ Dr Paul sagar⁢ may recognize concerns about exploitation,‍ but he does not answer the central ethical question. ⁤How can a system be just⁣ if it starts to depend on people under financial pressure selling their organs and allowing economic vulnerability to become the engine of organ supply, while ⁢the causes of kidney failure and⁣ unequal‍ access to⁢ care remain unaddressed?

Altruism is yet to have its day. Research by the Robert Dangoor Partnership for Living Kidney Donation has shown that more than half of UK adults would consider ⁣donating⁢ a kidney to a family member,nearly⁣ a ‍third to a friend,and one in seven to a stranger. ‍More⁣ than two-thirds ⁤ of people say they⁢ want to make a positive impact on the world, even when it comes at a personal cost.

The issue is not the absence of altruism, but how effectively we inform and enable people to act on their existing willingness to help others⁣ by raising awareness and providing support for living kidney donation. Our work ⁣is making an active difference in this space,with support available through donateakidney.co.uk.

Saving lives ‍doesn’t mean monetising our organs. It demands investment in prevention, research, fair access to transplantation, ⁢and sustained support for ethical, voluntary donation.

Sandra Currie
Chief executive, Kidney Research UK

“It turns out that the main arguments against legalising the sale of⁢ kidneys aren’t very robust,” writes Dr Paul ⁤Sagar.There are many arguments for and against the use of financial incentives for organ donation. Coherent debate, however, requires engagement with reliable empirical evidence. Regrettably, in