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Therapies derived from substances of human origin (SoHOs) such as organs, cells, and tissues provide life-saving or life-changing treatment for millions of people worldwide each year. However, many people lack timely access to SoHO-based therapies because of insufficient supplies of these exceptional health resources and/or broader barriers in access to healthcare. Despite well-established governmental commitments to promote health equity in general and equity of access to SoHOs in particular, information about inequities in access to most SoHO-based therapies is scarce. Furthermore, the issue of equitable allocation of SoHO-based therapies has received little attention from policymakers and ethicists, except in the context of organ allocation for transplantation. Consequently, the extent and nature of potential inequities within and between countries are largely unknown, and few sources of guidance are available to support progress toward equity in global access to SoHO-based therapies. We present here the findings of an international ethics working group convened in preparation for the 2023 Global Summit on Convergence in Transplantation, organized in Santander, Spain. The group sought to assess potential gaps in knowledge about inequities involving SoHO-based therapies, to elucidate systemic factors that may influence access to these therapies, and to consider how policies and frameworks governing access to and allocation of SoHO-based therapies may promote equity when it is necessary to define boundaries in access because of insufficiency of supply. In discussing these challenges, we also outline several recommendations for action by governments and health authorities., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The avoidance of financial gain in the human body is an international ethical standard that underpins efforts to promote equity in donation and transplantation and to avoid the exploitation of vulnerable populations. The avoidance of financial loss due to donation of organs, tissues, and cells is also now recognized as an ethical imperative that fosters equity in donation and transplantation and supports the well-being of donors and their families. Nevertheless, there has been little progress in achieving financial neutrality in donations in most countries. We present here the findings of an international ethics working group convened in preparation for the 2023 Global Summit on Convergence in Transplantation, held in Santander, Spain, which was tasked with formulating recommendations for action to promote financial neutrality in donation. In particular, we discuss the potential difficulty of distinguishing interventions that address donation-related costs from those that may act as a financial incentive for donation, which may inhibit efforts to cover costs. We also outline some practical strategies to assist governments in designing, implementing, and evaluating policies and programs to support progress toward financial neutrality in donation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Trafficking in human organs, cells, and tissues has long been a source of concern for health authorities and professionals, and several international ethical guidance documents and national laws have affirmed the prohibition of trade in these substances of human origin (SoHOs). However, despite considerable attention to the issue of organ trafficking, this remains a substantial and widespread problem internationally. In contrast, trafficking in cells, tissues, and medical products derived from SoHOs has received comparatively little attention, and the extent and nature of such trafficking remain largely unknown. Consequently, as part of the 2023 Global Summit on Convergence in Transplantation held in Santander, Spain, an ethics working group was assigned the task of formulating actionable recommendations to support the prevention of trafficking in all SoHOs. In reporting on this work, we review factors that may influence the persistent trafficking of SoHOs, explore the potential difficulties associated with the collection and reporting of data about suspected trafficking activities, and argue that more practical and consistent guidance, training, and regulatory frameworks are needed internationally to support effective reporting, sharing of data, and collaborative responses to suspected trafficking cases. We also discuss the importance of psychosocial evaluation of living donors as a strategy to detect and prevent organ trafficking and strive to advance the implementation of this well-established recommendation by outlining minimum standards for psychosocial evaluation of living donors., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)