Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has selected two members of the Wayne State University School of Medicine faculty to serve on new committees established to combat human trafficking.
Herbert Smitherman Jr., M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., assistant dean of Community and Urban Health and associate professor of Internal Medicine for the Wayne State University School of Medicine, will serve on the state's Human Trafficking Commission.
Snyder also appointed Dena Nazer, M.D., assistant professor of Pediatrics for the WSU School of Medicine and chief of the Child Protection Center at Children's Hospital of Michigan, to a three-year term on the new Human Trafficking Health Advisory Board.
The Human Trafficking Commission and the Human Trafficking Health Advisory Board will work to protect Michigan residents from human trafficking, fight repeat violations and improve survivor support services, the governor's office said.
Human trafficking is the trade in people for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
"It's the world's fastest-growing criminal enterprise, growing exponentially, third only to drug and arms trafficking, and is estimated to have gone from a $5 billion industry in 2004 to a $32 billion-a-year global industry by 2012," Dr. Smitherman said. "And it affects our kids. At least 1 million U.S. citizens are being trafficked, 325,000 are children with an average age of 13.
"Cases are occurring every day in the U.S., affecting girls and boys in all 50 states, often starting on the Internet," he added. "We need a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach that builds upon the capabilities of social services, healthcare, IT and law enforcement to stop this scourge. Being appointed to the first Human Trafficking Commission in the state's history is an honor and provides the opportunity for a clinical perspective toward solving this grave and growing problem."
The 14-member commission was established in 2014 through House Bill 5158. The body will make recommendations to the Legislature to improve laws and rules to address human trafficking violations. Appointees serve two-year terms expiring March 1, 2017.
The nine-member Human Trafficking Health Advisory Board that Dr. Nazer now serves on will address issues relating to medical and mental health of human trafficking survivors.
"It is an honor to be recommended by the Speaker of the House and appointed to serve as a member on the Human Trafficking Health Advisory Board," Dr. Nazer said. "I believe this opportunity will increase collaboration amongst different partners in our state. I aim to use my education as a child abuse pediatrician and my expertise through working with children to address this issue on the national level. I aim to work within our team to increase awareness, coordinate medical and mental health services for victims and to provide the best of care to victims. Human trafficking is a real threat, but there is so much we can do to eliminate it and ensure victims get the very best of care."
Human trafficking, Dr. Nazer said, is one of the largest criminal industries in the world, affecting 2.4 million individuals globally. The majority of victims are women and children. Human trafficking is widespread throughout the United States, including Michigan. Detroit specifically, is one of the cities with the most calls placed to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center.
"It is horrible to look at the numbers of victims human trafficking affects every year globally, and the danger becomes more real when it affects our children in Michigan, and particularly in Detroit," Dr. Nazer said. "When one learns that one in three teens on the street in the U.S. is lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home and that the average age of entry into prostitution is 12 to 13 years old, it becomes essential that we work together to fight this evil. I have always been a child advocate at heart and believe that all children need to live a healthy life free of abuse and neglect. I am ready to take my advocacy to a whole new level and work within a team of highly qualified individuals. I've always enjoyed working with children particularly the most vulnerable, and it is these children that are more are risk."
Dr. Nazer performs medical evaluations in suspected child sexual abuse cases at the Kids-TALK Children's Advocacy Center. She completed her pediatric residency and a fellowship in child abuse and neglect at Wayne State University.