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Chinese blood not for transfusion: DOH
DIRTY BLOOD: China has one of the fastest growing AIDS
rates in the world, and of the 85,000 people there with AIDS, 35,000 were
infected in commercial transfusions
By Jenny W. hsu
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Mar 21, 2010, Page 1
Tsai Yi-yu, a law student at National Taiwan
University and a Taipei City councilor candidate of the Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP), left, wearing a mask of President Ma Ying-jeou, is splashed by
colored water as he and Tung Chung-yen, right, also a Taipei city councilor
candidate of the DPP, enact a skit to protest against the government¡¦s decision
to allow the importation of Chinese blood.
PHOTO: LIU HSIN-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
Blood serum and plasma imported from China will not be used
for the purpose of transfusions in Taiwan, the Department of Health (DOH)
assured the public on Friday. The announcement was made in response to
lawmakers¡¦ concerns after the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) allowed the
opening up of the nation¡¦s blood market to blood from China, which has one of
the fastest-growing AIDS rates in the world.
The DOH said Chinese-imported blood serum and plasma are to be used only for
in-vitro diagnostic tests and are banned from being used for blood transfusions
or for human use.
¡§The public has nothing to worry about. All serum and plasma imported from China
can only be used as a raw material for the purpose of in-vitro diagnostic tests
for hepatitis B and AIDS,¡¨ Bureau of Medical Affairs director Shih Chung-liang
(¥Û±R¨}) told a press conference, adding that all imported blood must undergo close
inspection and obtain approval from the DOH before entering the Taiwan market.
Shih said that as a part of the application for DOH approval, all biotech
companies that intend to import plasma must provide documentation that proves
the origin of the sample, and that the samples must have tested negative for
various infectious viruses, in line with WHO protocols.
Furthermore, Shih said, the law requires that all blood, serum and plasma to be
used for blood transfusions must be extracted in Taiwan.
On Friday, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wen Chin-chu (¯Îª÷¯]) chided the
MOEA for putting the nation¡¦s health at risk by approving the imports of serum
and plasma from China despite the fact that malaria is endemic in some parts of
China.
Reported cases of HIV and AIDS in China have escalated rapidly in recent years,
she said.
¡§The DOH said Taiwanese citizens who have traveled to malaria-affected
regions in China are not allowed to donate blood for one year after their visit.
However, the government has clandestinely opened up Taiwan to blood from China,¡¨
she said, adding that she suspected some high-ranking officers are behind the
deal for personal profit.
USAIDS said China¡¦s HIV epidemic remains fairly low, but added that there are
pockets of high infection among specific sub-populations and in some
localities.
Estimates on the organization¡¦s Web site show that by the end of 2007,
approximately 700,000 Chinese were HIV positive. The HIV infection rate among
China¡¦s population is 0.05 percent.
An estimated 85,000 Chinese have AIDS and of those, 35,000 have been infected
through commercial blood donations and transfusions.
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