A youth in Hunan province became a victim of illegal organ trade recently, and his kidney was removed forcibly. Though such incidents call for a crackdown on illegal organ and transplant trade, health authorities have to find the best way to meet the huge demand for kidneys, says an article in Beijing News. Excerpts:

About 1.5 million patients in China need kidney transplants, and their number is increasing by 120,000 to 150,000 a year.

But only about 8,000 of the patients can get a kidney transplant every year.

The dearth of kidney donors in the country is one of the main reasons why illegal trade in the organ is still going on.

Health authorities should take measures to encourage legal organ donation and make donors feel more comfortable. Only by doing so can they encourage more people to donate kidneys.

Illegal trade in organs costs the lives of about 100,000 people every year. Most of the victims die because of the gradual failure of normal organs.

These deaths can be prevented only if donors as well as patients are made aware of the dangers of illegal organ trade.