Download human trafficking a modern day plague padmini murthy md, mph, ms

HUMAN TRAFFICKING
A MODERN DAY PLAGUE
PADMINI MURTHY MD, MPH, MS, CHES
ASST PROF NEW YORK MEDICAL COLLEGE
MWIA NGO REP TO THE UNITED NATIONS
CHAIR COWR APHA
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PADMINI MURTHY
The following personal financial
relationships with commercial
interests relevant to this presentation
existed during the past 12 months:
NO RELATIONSHIPS TO DISCLOSE
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1. Define human trafficking.
2. Describe public health challenges related to
human trafficking.
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Human trafficking is similar to arms and drug
trafficking and is a heinous crime which poses
a major threat to the international community.
It presents a special threat to women and
adolescents, both girls and boys, especially
those who have a low socioeconomic status.
Trafficking in persons can be separated into
two distinct categories: 1.forced labor and
2.prostitution, also known as sex trafficking
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The United Nations definition of human
trafficking is “The recruitment, transportation,
transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by
means of the threat or use of force or other
forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of
deception, of the abuse of power or of a
position of vulnerability or of the giving or
receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the
consent of a person having control over
another person, for the purpose of
exploitation”
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According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2007
Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report),
estimates vary from 4 to 27 million.
80% – Percent of transnational victims who are
women and girls.
70% – Percent of female victims who are trafficked
into the commercial sex industry. This means that
30% of female victims are victims of forced labor.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in
Persons Report: 2007.
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32 billion – Total yearly profits generated by
the human trafficking industry.
$15.5 billion is made in industrialized
countries.
-$9.7 billion in Asia
-$13,000 per year generated on average by each
"forced laborer." This number can be as high as
$67,200 per victim per year.
Source: ILO, A global alliance against forced
labor: 2005.
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Lack of health care access
Post traumatic stress
Increased risk of contracting STIs / HIV
Increased drug use among young girls in Asia
and former Soviet Union
Increased incidence of depression
Increased risk of suicide and cognitive
impairment
Lack of rehabilitation mechanisms for
survivors
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1. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish

Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and
Children (also referred to as the Trafficking
Protocol) adopted by the United Nations in
Palermo Italy in 2000 .
2. Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection
Act ( TVPA) in the USA in October 2000.
3. The Council of Europe Convention on Action
Against Trafficking in Human Beings was
endorsed by the Committee of Ministers in 2005.
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Increase Awareness
Training of health care personnel including
social workers to identify and address the
special needs of trafficked victims
Stringent punishment for traffickers
Increased cooperation among national and
international agencies dealing with trafficking
www.ilo.org
 www. us state department.org
 Murthy P., Persaud, R. , Toda M
( 2009) Human trafficking: A Modern
Plague.In Murthy P, Smith L(Eds) .Women's
Global Health and Human Rights . (59-72).
Boston , MA :Jones and Bartlett
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