Description: WA General Assembly Resolution #175: Organ and Blood Donations Act (Category: Social Justice; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.
Argument: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:
REALIZES that repealing GAR#175, "Organ and Blood Donations Act,”
will not outlaw organ and blood donations and transplants within WA member nations,
BELIEVES, additionally, that the shortcomings of the resolution require its repeal in order to allow WA member nations to most effectively perform life-saving organ and blood transplants.
HIGHLIGHTS the wording of Clause 7, which states:
Forbids transplantation or transfusion of infected and/or diseased blood, organs, tissues, or components thereof from one person (a donor) to another person (a recipient).
RECOGNIZES that the wording of this clause does not allow for any flexibility with regards to such transplants, even if such a transplant would be consented to by the prospective recipient.
UNDERSTANDS that some infections, such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Hepatitis B & C (HBV & HCV) may be spread from donor to recipient during a transplantation or transfusion process, which means that individuals with these diseases shall be considered “infected and/or diseased” under the terms of this resolution.
DETAILS the following:
- CMV is a disease that may affect a substantial portion of a given nation's population.
- CMV-positive blood and components can be safely transfused into otherwise healthy recipients, even though such transfusions are likely to spread the disease to CMV-negative recipients.
- CMV-positive organs and tissues can and have been transplanted safely to CMV-negative recipients in need when associated with appropriate anti-viral treatments.
- Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency (HIV) viruses are diseases that affect varying amounts of individuals within a given population.
- HBV, HCV, and HIV-positive donors can and have successfully donated organs to a recipient who tests positive for the same disease that they have.
- Many individuals who are in need of organ transplants may be willing to take an organ that is HBV, HCV, or HIV-positive as receiving an organ would prolong their life even if they were to contract a new disease in the process.
- Clause 7 “forbids” the transplantation of organs from individuals who test positive for CMV, HBV, HCV, and HIV, which means that each of the above examples are currently prohibited under WA law.
REGRETS that the unfortunate wording of this clause does not allow for flexibility in the handling of donations and transplants, which prevents member states from instituting common-sense practices that do not harm public health and may provide a net benefit for individual patients.
LAMENTS that the scarcity of resources available for transfusion and transplantation is adversely impacted by this resolution and increases the possibility that those patients in need of an organ transplant will die prior to receiving an organ that can save their lives.
DECLARES that individual recipients, in coordination with informed recommendations from their health care provider(s), should be allowed to give their informed consent for such procedures that are outlawed by this resolution.
HOPES that the WA will consider future legislation on this subject to rectify the aforementioned flaws while still assuring the safety and availability of blood, blood components, organs, and tissues in order to save lives of individuals in all WA member nations.
REPEALS GAR#175, "Organ and Blood Donations Act."
