VATICAN CITY, Rome, Feb 9, (KUNA): Chairman of Kuwait Transplant Society (KTS) Dr Mustafa Al-Musawi has affirmed Thursday Kuwait's keen interest in countering human organs trafficking, as well as high action on supporting all international efforts to combat this crime and find other practical solutions that meets the patients' needs.
Al-Musawi made his remarks to KUNA Thursday on the sidelines of his participation in the 2017 Pontifical Academy of Sciences' Summit on Organ Trafficking in Vatican City. He has represented Kuwait during the two-day event, which kicked off on Feb 7 under the auspices of Pope Francis. Kuwait has been actively involved in anti-organ trafficking efforts since 2006, when the country hosted a founding meeting to crystalize these efforts, he said.
Declaration
These early Kuwaiti-led efforts have, eventually, paved the way for the declaration of Istanbul on organ trafficking and transplant tourism in 2008, and later for World Health Organization's (WHO) 2010 resolution (WHA63.22) on optimizing organ donation and transplantation practices. He also mentioned that Kuwait's contribution and scientific worksheet on the issue were widely welcomed by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, pointing out such greeting as a source of pride for the country and its efforts.
Pope Francis has expressed his keenness on sponsoring this year's summit, which coincides with the International Patient Day, meeting with the participants, and signing the event's concluding communique, Al-Musawi said. He described the Pope's action as an ethical support for all international efforts, led by the Transplantation Society (TTS) and the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), against organs trafficking.
The 2017 Pontifical Academy Summit on Organ Trafficking aimed at describing the wide-spread extent of transplant tourism and organ trafficking and preparing a statement referable to the Pontifical Academy Summit that would be signed by the participants and distributed worldwide.
The event's main objectives were to engage a group of stakeholders, including government officials, prosecutors, investigators, justices, and journalists, who can be influential in the long term in combatting organ trafficking in an alliance with transplant professionals, and develop an alliance of individuals committed to combating organ trafficking and transplant tourism