By Kaitlyn Schaeffer
Every year around 6000 people choose to make living donations; most donate kidneys to people they know, such as friends and family, but many make donations to strangers. There have been many calls for more people do donate kidneys while they’re still alive, but this mobilization has encountered some road bumps: the risks surrounding this complex procedure are still somewhat unknown.
Experts worry that current guidelines are inconsistent and …

By Caroline Song
A study conducted by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) looked at over 100,000 deaths that occurred in hospitals from 2008 to 2012. The report found that most organ donations come from patients that are declared brain dead.  The study suggests accepting more donations from cardiovascular failure or death if the patients have no chance of recovery. This practice is permitted in Canada since 2006, but many …

On December 5, 2014 Fordham University Center for Ethics Education bioethicist Dr. Elizabeth Yuko has been appointed to the Advisory Board of the Global Bioethics Initiative (GBI), an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to improving quality of life in vulnerable populations globally, through research, education and policy change recommendations.  Yuko, the program administrator for the Fordham University HIV and Drug Abuse Prevention Research Ethics Training Institute, and the senior editor of …

by Andrew Rock
Dutch medical experts are  influencing policy changes for organ donation after euthanasia. The Netherlands has experienced low donation numbers through euthanasia in recent years.  Physicians anticipate new legislation will significantly increase the number of organs in the donation pool.  In 2013, 273 Dutch citizens donated their organs, while 4800 instances of euthanasia occurred. Dr. Gert van Dijk of Erasmus Medical School explains, “even if a small percentage of euthanasia patients choose to donate their organs after …

NEW YORK, December 12, 2014: Global Bioethics Initiative held a screening of the HBO documentary film: “Tales from the Organ Trade.” An expert panel discussion followed the screening with special guests: Dr. Bruce Elliot Gelb, M.D., F.A.C.S., Director of Renal Transplantation in the Department of Transplant Surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center and Dr. Lloyd E. Ratner, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., Professor of Surgery and Director of Renal and Pancreatic Transplantation in the New …

A meeting of scholars at Princeton University resulted in the drafting of an open letter addressed to President Barack Obama, Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Attorney General Eric Holder, and leaders of Congress. The letter is independent of any organization. Among the initiating signers are NIr Eyal and Robert Truog of Harvard University, Peter Singer at Princeton University, Michele Goodwin at the University of California Irvine, …

By Andrew Rock
Around 21 Americans die each day waiting for transplants. In New York, over 10,000 people are currently in need of an organ transplant. Though exact numbers vary by state, approximately 45% of American adults are registered as organ donors. Given the life-saving capabilities of organs, and great demand for them, what prevents more people fr0m donating?
Experts have been examining the somewhat beguiling gap that exists between the number …

By Caroline Song
A study conducted by Dr. Scott Frey at the University of Missouri suggests that the ability of hand transplant recipients to recover their senses of touch might be due to physiological changes within the hand as well as other important neurological changes. The results of the study could help facilitate the recovery process for patients who suffer brain or spinal cord injuries.
Following the loss of a limb, the …

By Kaitlyn Schaeffer
Twenty-three million Americans suffer from chronic kidney disease, and of these, 615,000 have reached end stage renal failure. More than 100,000 patients are waiting for a deceased organ transplant; however, based on recent UNOS data, only 16,000 of them can expect to receive a donor kidney.
The current organ shortage means those on waiting lists will have to wait longer than expected, and longer waits correlate with an increased risk of …

October 2014 Newsletter

Global Bioethics Initiative (GBI) is dedicated to fostering public awareness and understanding of bioethical issues, as well as to exploring solutions to bioethical challenges.

Through its events and activities, GBI seeks to keep the international community, policy decision-makers, the media, and the general public informed and aware of important bioethical issues. Such awareness is essential for making informed decisions and fostering public debates about possible solutions to these pressing …