The Chinese government has launched a new campaign to prevent
illegal blood collection, which once caused the spread of HIV/AIDS in central China.
"More efforts should be made to crack down on unlicensed blood
collection and supply activities and those who organize illegal
blood collection or force people to sell blood should be severely
punished," said a statement jointly issued on Friday by China's
health and public security authorities.
In the mid-1990s, illegal blood collection caused the spread of
HIV/AIDS among rural residents in areas of central China.
Since 1995, China has promulgated a series of laws and
regulations to secure blood safety, and lab testing has been
required at blood stations across the nation.
The statement said that local health authorities should improve
supervision of blood collection stations, especially those located
in remote areas to prevent misconduct and malpractice.
"Any stations, which collect or provide blood for clinical use
without testing, should be seriously dealt with," the statement
said.
Those who collect blood from donors with fake identities should
also face punishment, according to the statement.
Earlier reports said that six people in south China's Guangdong Province had been jailed in May for
operating an illegal blood donation ring. They forced migrant
workers desperate for cash to sell blood up to ten times each month
by issuing them with fake identity cards.
A law introduced in 1998 forbids donors from giving blood more
than once every six months.
The statement also told the drug safety watchdog to improve the
administration of pharmaceutical companies which produce and sell
drugs that contain human blood.
To standardize blood collection activities, the Ministry of
Health issued a regulation last November, setting out detailed
rules on lab testing, the storage and transportation of blood
plasma and the timely reporting of any adverse reactions.
Ninety-five percent of blood collected for clinical use in China
came from voluntary donation in 2005, according to the health
ministry.
(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2007)