A safe blood supply

A few years back there was a furor over the country's contaminated blood supply. Some people were turning blood donation into a commercial enterprise by selling their blood. It wouldn't have been too worrisome if those selling their blood were qualified and healthy and the blood they gave was properly tested. A number of the blood donors, however, were reportedly drug abusers and the blood testing was inadequate. After a public scare, selling of blood was banned and some blood banks investigated.

Is the country's blood supply now safer? There are no guarantees. As World Health Day was observed last Friday, the World Health Organization reported that 57 percent of its 191 member-states lack the equipment and trained personnel to perform proper tests on donated blood. Each year, more than 13 million units of donated blood are not fully tested, WHO reported. Transfusions of contaminated blood are believed to account for up to 10 percent of HIV infections -- about 160,000 people. Such transfusions and unsafe injection practices are also blamed for up to 16 million hepatitis B and 4.7 million hepatitis C infections.

Safe blood supply is not the only problem. In many countries, there is an acute shortage of donated blood. Where there is no organized transfusion system, there is no available donated blood supply. WHO reported that of some 75 million units of blood donated annually worldwide, 44.9 million units come from the rich countries, with only 1.3 million units coming from the poorest third.

While scientists are tinkering with genetics and exploring new frontiers in medicine, WHO admits that there has been little progress in the past 25 years in making the world's blood supply safe. WHO noted that many developing countries are not complying with the organization's guidelines on blood donations, often for lack of resources. WHO Director General Gro Harlem Brundtland also noted that commitment and support are lacking on the part of many governments. As the Philippines joined the international community in marking World Health Day, the administration must show that it is not one of these governments.