Contaminated blood products remain one of the major channels for
spreading HIV/AIDS in Shanghai, and at least 54 local hemophilia
patients have been diagnosed with the deadly virus after coming in
contact with contaminated blood.
To help these victims, the local government has provided free
medical treatment and a monthly subsidy of 1,000 yuan (US$121.07)
since 2002.
According to the latest statistics from the city's Centre for
Disease Prevention and Control, 6.5 percent of Shanghai's 886 HIV
carriers and AIDS patients contracted the virus via contaminated
blood products.
Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder caused by a clotting
deficiency, and supplying the coagulation factor is the main
treatment for the disease.
Local hemophilia patients suspected they were infected with HIV
after using the eighth blood coagulation factor produced by
Shanghai Bioproducts Research Centre, the nation's major blood
product producer.
In China all blood products, including the coagulation factor,
were treated with deactivation technology until July 1995 when the
Ministry of Health forbad the technology because it failed to kill
the HIV virus.
Hemophilia patient Taotao was the first reported AIDS victim in
1998 and died two years later at the age of 15.
According to Wu Zhongze, Taotao's father, a total of 11
hemophilia patients have died but they didn't receive a HIV test
before death.
Since 2000, hemophilia patients and their family members have
struggled to obtain compensation and better medical treatment.
"It's very hard to bring these cases to court; for a period of
time local courts didn't accept such cases," said a local lawyer
who requested anonymity.
After three years the Changning District Intermediate Court
ruled that Wu qualified for 100,000 yuan (US$1,210) as compensation
for his son's death.
(China Daily December 2, 2003)
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