HOW CAN THE U.S. ADDRESS THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HUMAN ORGAN AND TISSUE DONORS?
Some background/context: According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) there nearly 109,000 people in the U.S. need a life-saving organ transplant. In 2018 an average of 22 people died every day while waiting for a transplant. Many of those waiting could be saved by living donors.
Prompt: Given the immense need for donor organs, how can the U.S. address the need for additional human organ and tissue donors? What is your recommendation? What would this policy look like? Should we move from an opt-in to an opt-out system? If so, how should the policy be structured? Should we introduce incentives to get people to donate? How would those work? Is it possible to allow monetary compensation for organ donation and protect vulnerable populations? In evaluating your policy, make sure that you explain how individuals and groups may be affected by your policy, especially as it concerns issues of economic class, race, ethnicity, gender, ability.