Egypt: New law targets illegal organ transplants

Egypt has a new law banning the sale of human organs, imposing severe restrictions on transplant operations for foreigners, and stipulating long jail sentences and huge fines for violations. The law, approved in December 2010 after protracted discussions in parliament, took effect only in June owing to country-wide political turmoil since January. Doctors say about 1,500 illegal transplants take place annually. Most live organs come from the destitute who sell body parts to pay debts or start small projects to earn a living to escape unemployment and poverty.