Description: WA General Assembly Resolution #175: Organ and Blood Donations Act (Category: Social Justice; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:

REALIZES that repealing GAR#175, "Organ and Blood Donations Act,” will not outlaw organ and blood donations and transplants within WA member nations,

BELIEVES, additionally, that the shortcomings of the resolution require its repeal in order to allow WA member nations to most effectively perform life-saving organ and blood transplants.

HIGHLIGHTS the wording of Clause 7, which states: Forbids transplantation or transfusion of infected and/or diseased blood, organs, tissues, or components thereof from one person (a donor) to another person (a recipient).

RECOGNIZES that the wording of this clause does not allow for any flexibility with regards to such transplants, even if such a transplant would be consented to by the prospective recipient.

UNDERSTANDS that some infections, such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Hepatitis B & C (HBV & HCV) may be spread from donor to recipient during a transplantation or transfusion process, which means that individuals with these diseases shall be considered “infected and/or diseased” under the terms of this resolution.

DETAILS the following:

• CMV is a disease that may affect a substantial portion of a given nation's population.

  1. CMV-positive blood and components can be safely transfused into otherwise healthy recipients, even though such transfusions are likely to spread the disease to CMV-negative recipients.

  2. CMV-positive organs and tissues can and have been transplanted safely to CMV-negative recipients in need when associated with appropriate anti-viral treatments.

• Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency (HIV) viruses are diseases that affect varying amounts of individuals within a given population.

  1. HBV, HCV, and HIV-positive donors can and have successfully donated organs to a recipient who tests positive for the same disease that they have.

  2. Many individuals who are in need of organ transplants may be willing to take an organ that is HBV, HCV, or HIV-positive as receiving an organ would prolong their life even if they were to contract a new disease in the process.

• Clause 7 “forbids” the transplantation of organs from individuals who test positive for CMV, HBV, HCV, and HIV, which means that each of the above examples are currently prohibited under WA law.

LAMENTS that the scarcity of resources available for transfusion and transplantation is adversely impacted by this resolution and increases the possibility that those patients in need of an organ transplant will die prior to receiving an organ that can save their lives.

DECLARES that individual recipients, in coordination with informed recommendations from their health care provider(s), should be allowed to give their informed consent for such procedures that are outlawed by this resolution.

HOPES that the WA will consider future legislation on this subject to rectify the aforementioned flaws while still assuring the safety and availability of blood, blood components, organs, and tissues in order to save lives of individuals in all WA member nations.

REPEALS GAR#175, "Organ and Blood Donations Act."

Votes For: 8,832 (88%)
Votes Against: 1,241 (12%)

Implemented: Tue Sep 4 2012

Description: WA General Assembly Resolution #49: Stem Cells For Greater Health (Category: Social Justice; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

Argument: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:

DECLARES that repealing GAR#49, "Stem Cells for Greater Health," will not prohibit stem cell treatments in WA member nations.

RECOGNIZES the shortcomings of this Resolution, which include:

1. The emphasis it places solely on stem-cell research:

   1. A broader base of support for innovative medical research may improve the overall health and well-being of individuals within WA member nations.

   2. Some nations may have access to technology that is more advanced than stem-cell research, which limits the usefulness of this resolution.

2. The requirement with regards to the WHA funding and conducting research into stem cells alone prevents the WHA from focusing its resources towards the most promising and effective research. Instead, the WHA is required to use their resources on stem cell research even in the face of technological advances which may make stem cell research obsolete.

3. The failure to ensure patient access and/or affordability of stem cell treatments resulting from the research and development covered in this resolution.

4. The automatic inclusion of "All breakthroughs and developments ... into the Public Domain" through this resolution waives the intellectual property rights of those who make groundbreaking discoveries and may also discourage, or at least slow, the development of new innovations.

NOTES that:

1. Consent - specifically uncoerced, informed consent - should be obtained from the donor or legal guardian of stem cell tissue, which is not required within this resolution.

2. Stem cells should be harvested as effectively and efficiently as possible, while minimizing the risk to the donor.

3. Demand for stem cells may have increased as a result of this resolution, which in turn may have resulted in unethical methods of stem cell harvesting and/or the exploitation of stem cell donors.

ACKNOWLEDGES that the World Assembly has previously affirmed the freedom of choice with regards to medical treatment and the right to medically essential drugs and treatment.

LAMENTS, however, the lack of sufficient protections for donors of stem cells within the text of this resolution.

UNDERSTANDS that this resolution is not only flawed and insufficient but may also serve as an impediment to the development of new innovations in medical technology and treatment.

ENCOURAGES the World Assembly to consider future legislation in order to promote the development of effective, cutting edge technologies in the fields of health and science.

REPEALS GAR#49, "Stem Cells For Greater Health."

Co-Authored by: Oliver the mediocre

Votes For: 8,079 (85%)
Votes Against: 1,466 (15%)

Implemented: Sat Sep 8 2012

Description: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:

BELIEVES that all individuals should be accorded specific rights and protections under WA law.

REALIZES that many live donors of biomedical tissues often are donors for altruistic reasons and may receive no personal benefit from the procedure.

WISHES to ensure that donors of biomedical tissues shall not be exploited or discriminated against in any way throughout the donation process.

SPECIFIES that “biomedical tissues” shall include, at minimum, the following:

1. Blood and blood products, such as platelets and plasma.

2. Organs, such as the kidneys, liver, and heart.

3. Stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, those found in the bone marrow and the umbilical cord, and other adult stem cells.

DECLARES that prospective donors of biomedical tissues shall not be discriminated against without a valid medical rationale, such as blood and tissue typing or the presence of a dangerous contagion.

REQUIRES that the donation process for biomedical procedures shall involve:

1. Techniques that are as humane as is practicable using appropriate sterile technique for the procedure in question.

2. Testing and typing of the donor and donated biomedical tissues in order to:

   1. Ensure that the donor, if a living donor, is healthy enough to undergo the donation procedure.

   2. Determine whether or not a disease or infection is present in the biomedical tissue.

   3. Simplify the matching of donated biomedical tissues with recipients so as to minimize negative transfusion reactions, biomedical tissue rejection, and the transference of disease or infection.

1. A legally completed advance health care directive (e.g. living will) shall be followed in order to respect the wishes of the individual in question.

2. In the absence of a legally completed advance health care directive, WA member nations may permit an individual's legal guardian or next-of-kin to provide uncoerced, informed consent on behalf of a donor in the event that the individual in question is under the threshold of majority or is otherwise unable to understand the information in question.

DECREES that the medical staff that determines whether or not an individual is irreversibly "brain dead" shall not include members of the transplant staff and shall not be influenced to provide false declarations that an individual is irreversibly "brain dead."

PERMITS individual WA Nations and their health care systems to delay or defer donation of biomedical tissues due to a donor's co-existing medical condition, which may place a potential recipient at risk; if such a medical condition exists, WA nations are urged to make all reasonable attempts at treatment so as to allow the donation to occur.

Votes For: 8,856 (92%)
Votes Against: 816 (8%)

Implemented: Wed Sep 19 2012

Description: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:

UNDERSTANDS the importance in assuring and protecting the rights of individuals receiving medical treatments.

SPECIFIES that “biomedical tissues” shall include, at minimum, the following:

1. Blood and blood products, such as platelets and plasma.

2. Organs, such as the kidneys, liver, and heart.

3. Stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, those found in the bone marrow and the umbilical cord, and other adult stem cells.

DECLARES that prospective recipients of biomedical tissues shall not be discriminated against without a valid medical rationale, such as blood and tissue typing or the presence of a dangerous contagion.

REQUIRES that the process for biomedical procedures shall involve:

1. Ensuring that the recipient is healthy enough to undergo the procedure.

2. Techniques that are as humane as is practicable using appropriate sterile technique for the procedure in question.

3. Testing and typing of the recipient in order to minimize negative transfusion reactions and biomedical tissue rejection.

1. A legally completed advance health care directive (e.g. living will) shall be followed in order to respect the wishes of the individual in question.

2. In the absence of a legally completed advance health care directive, WA member nations may permit an individual's legal guardian or next-of-kin to provide uncoerced, informed consent on behalf of a recipient in the event that the individual in question is under the threshold of majority or is otherwise unable to understand the information in question.

ALLOWS for WA member nations and their health care systems to triage prospective recipients based on geographic location, if the biomedical tissue in question may decrease in quality during the transport process, and other medically relevant factors (e.g. medical need).

PERMITS individual WA member nations and their health care systems to delay or defer a recipient's biomedical procedure(s) due to a co-existing medical condition, which may place the treatment tissues at risk of rejection or infection.

1. If such a medical condition exists, all reasonable attempts shall be made at treatment so as to allow the transplant to occur.

2. WA member nations may elect to match donors and recipients based on such a medical condition in the event of biomedical tissue shortages, if such a match is determined to be in the best medical interests of the recipient.

Votes For: 8,682 (89%)
Votes Against: 1,020 (11%)

Implemented: Sun Sep 23 2012

Description: THE WORLD ASSEMBLY:

UNDERSTANDS that despite the many advances that have been made in medical technology, there are still medical conditions in need of a cure or better treatments.

BELIEVES that, to better assure the health and wellness of citizens living in WA member nations, the World Assembly should work to facilitate the further development and innovation of medical technology and treatments.

SPECIFIES that “biomedical tissues” shall include, at minimum, the following:

1. Blood and blood products, such as platelets and plasma.

2. Organs, such as the kidneys, liver, and heart.

3. Stem cells, such as embryonic stem cells, those found in the bone marrow and the umbilical cord, and other adult stem cells.

CREATES the Biomedical Innovation Organization (BIO) within the World Health Authority (WHA), which will be tasked with:

1. Coordinating research on treatments involving biomedical tissues conducted within WA member nations, including the sharing of findings and breakthroughs on an international level.

2. Including research data for biomedical innovations as a part of the Database Of Clinical Treatments Under Study.

3. Ensuring that WA member nations appropriately submit patents for biomedical innovations as a part of the Universal Patent Archive.

4. Developing and distributing an effective and inexpensive test for testing biomedical tissues for any disease or infection prior to transplantation to a recipient.

INSTRUCTS the WHA to allocate an appropriate portion of their budget to assist with the engineering and international implementation of a low-cost and effective system for storing and maintaining previously donated biomedical tissues within WA member nations. This system shall include, at minimum:

1. Medically relevant details with regards to the results of the typing and testing that has been done.

2. Procedures to prevent the unintended or incorrect transplant or transfusion of biomedical tissues (e.g. the wrong biomedical tissues, etc.)

1. The benefit to patients who are treated with biomedical tissues,

2. The details involved in donating biomedical tissues to be used for research and/or treatment, and

3. The importance of creating advance health care directives to ensure that one's own wishes are followed.

ARRANGES for the BEO to develop and provide Continuing Education courses for medical professionals throughout the multiverse in order to further the knowledge and expertise of practitioners in all WA member nations.

SUGGESTS that all WA member nations work, independently or collaboratively, to develop new systems, techniques, and technologies through which additional biomedical tissues shall be made available for transplant or transfusion.

Votes For: 8,850 (89%)
Votes Against: 1,130 (11%)

Implemented: Thu Sep 27 2012