Where We Work

COFS works with its partners in Bahrain, Egypt, India, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (transplant tourist sending- and hosting countries) to develop local, national, and regional strategies across a range of prevention measures.  We also have representatives and program developments in Bangladesh, Kuwait, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Yemen.

Prevention Programs

COFS work to combat organ trafficking and secure alternative organ supply sources

entails a diverse approach to prevention and advocacy.

• Policy Reform- to enhance alternative organ supplies for patients in need and                    to protect individuals from exploitative practices of commercialized organ                       donation

• Target-group and public awareness campaigns and calls to action

• Engaging decision-makers and key stakeholders in COFS' Mission

• Grassroots advocacy with potential commercial living donors

Survivor Outreach Programs

"Consider us the friends you didn't tell."

- COFS Donor advocate to solicited organ donor

The international community of transplant scientists, medical ethicists, social scientists, and social workers are at a consensus that there is a stark scarcity of longitudinal clinical follow-up studies on commercial living organ donors.  Increasingly however, studies have indicated that organ sellers who are survivors of induced coercion and victims of organ theft consist of the poor and vulnerable who pay the heaviest health, economic, social, and psychological consequences of the organ trade (Abouna 2003; Budiani 2005, 2006; Goyal et. Al. 2002; Scheper-Hughes 2000; Shaheen 2001; Zargooshi 2002).  To our knowledge, there are currently no other organizations that provide outreach services to “survivors of the organ trade.”  COFS builds partnerships with local health and human rights organizations to facilitate, administer, and tailor programs to meet local sensibilities and needs.

According to studied consequences and an assessment of these survivors' needs, COFS’ has developed five outreach program services.  These programs are restricted to services that address consequences that are direct results of their commercial living organ donation and include:

1.      Health services and long-term clinical follow up

2.      Health education

3.      Income generation/ employment assistance

4.      Counseling and peer support

5.      Referral to legal services

In addition to these programs, COFS staff makes ongoing visits with donors to inquire about their health, work, employment situation, and social well-being.  This outreach is a rich qualitative data set which supplements clinical data.  Such studies have increasing value for transplants scientists and policy makers.