Modern day slavery

Abstract

2007 marks the 200th anniversary of UK legislation abolishing the slave trade. While this is a time to reflect on the end of legal slavery, it is also an opportunity to remember that illegal slavery is still with us in various forms, human trafficking being one. The UN's International Labour Organization estimates that currently 2·4 million people worldwide are in forced or bonded labour or commercial sexual exploitation because of trafficking.Poverty, unemployment, and war are some of the key drivers of human trafficking. Addressing these “push factors” in source countries and “pull factors”, such as exploitative child labour, in destination countries should be important long-term goals for governments and the international community. But reducing the global inequities that cause trafficking will take time and commitment. What can be done in the short term?Development of an evidence base for trafficking should be one aim. Despite the existence of various estimates on the extent of human trafficking, obtaining accurate prevalence data is difficult. Few governments systematically collect data on trafficking. Data on the efficacy of prevention measures are also scarce. Mass education campaigns in areas where people are most frequently trafficked from are a promising intervention but their effectiveness has been difficult to measure.Some quantitative data on the health consequences of trafficking do exist. A 2006 study found that women who had escaped trafficking in Europe reported a number of physical and mental health problems, including headaches, depression, injuries from violence, and sexually transmitted infections. The state provision of health services for survivors of trafficking, and not just emergency care, should therefore be a priority.Although this provision is an issue for governments, the health-care community will be key in advocating appropriate services for survivors, recognising trafficked people in health-care settings, and importantly, collecting the hard data needed to help end this scourge on humanity. 2007 marks the 200th anniversary of UK legislation abolishing the slave trade. While this is a time to reflect on the end of legal slavery, it is also an opportunity to remember that illegal slavery is still with us in various forms, human trafficking being one. The UN's International Labour Organization estimates that currently 2·4 million people worldwide are in forced or bonded labour or commercial sexual exploitation because of trafficking. Poverty, unemployment, and war are some of the key drivers of human trafficking. Addressing these “push factors” in source countries and “pull factors”, such as exploitative child labour, in destination countries should be important long-term goals for governments and the international community. But reducing the global inequities that cause trafficking will take time and commitment. What can be done in the short term? Development of an evidence base for trafficking should be one aim. Despite the existence of various estimates on the extent of human trafficking, obtaining accurate prevalence data is difficult. Few governments systematically collect data on trafficking. Data on the efficacy of prevention measures are also scarce. Mass education campaigns in areas where people are most frequently trafficked from are a promising intervention but their effectiveness has been difficult to measure. Some quantitative data on the health consequences of trafficking do exist. A 2006 study found that women who had escaped trafficking in Europe reported a number of physical and mental health problems, including headaches, depression, injuries from violence, and sexually transmitted infections. The state provision of health services for survivors of trafficking, and not just emergency care, should therefore be a priority. Although this provision is an issue for governments, the health-care community will be key in advocating appropriate services for survivors, recognising trafficked people in health-care settings, and importantly, collecting the hard data needed to help end this scourge on humanity.