A nationwide survey of people who sold blood during the early
1990s is to be launched to establish whether they have been
infected with the HIV virus.
Explaining the rationale behind such a survey, Mao Qun'an, a
spokesman for the Ministry of Health, highlighted the severity of
the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China and said it would help give a
clearer picture of the problem.
Before the country began to test blood for HIV prior to
transfusions in 1997, many people, mostly poverty-stricken farmers,
became infected with the virus after selling their blood.
The peak period for those infected after selling blood to develop
full-blown AIDS is approaching. The average incubation time of the
HIV virus in adults who get infected through blood transfusion is
eight years.
If not already too late, the survey will track those HIV carriers
or AIDS patients so that they can be properly treated.
Such a survey is the wise move of a discerning government. Instead
of backing away from the problem or even pretending it does not
exist, they are seeking to tackle it.
Blood sales not only risk spreading viruses, which damage health
and families, but exacerbate the ruthless exploitation of the
poor.
Government and legislators have taken many steps to ensure a better
implementation of the law governing blood donations, which came
into effect in 1998 and banned the sale of blood.
This ban could effectively prevent the spread of HIV and other
viruses that can be transmitted through blood. It will benefit
numerous people in the future, although it will require painstaking
efforts to implement.
Actually carrying out the survey, aimed at tracing HIV carriers and
AIDS patients among those who sold blood, will require great
courage on the part of the decision-makers and those called to
conduct it, far more than was needed to ban the practice of selling
blood.
Henan
Province in Central China, one of the worst affected areas,
obtained a highly accurate number of people contaminated by blood
sales from a survey they carried out in July.
Henan's investigation has proved to be of great significance in
implementing measures to control the epidemic. Its very success is
costly and will pose a much heavier financial and political burden
on the government who will pay for the cost of testing and
treatment.
It is not difficult to imagine what the national survey will
uncover given the fact that 20 percent of those who tested positive
for HIV in the Henan survey had no inkling they were
infected.
Policy-makers have obviously recognized the potential burden and
yet are ready to take on the fight against this 21st century
plague, one which is ravaging millions around the world.
While applauding the move, we look forward to more substantial
steps being taken to address the disease and providing humane care
for those already infected.
(China Daily October 15, 2004)