Tainted blood deals raise international furor

Tainted blood deals raise international furor --------------------------------------------------------- Reprinted under the fair use doctrine of international copyright law:

The trail of blood plasma infected with HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis exported from South Africa to European companies is being investigated by the police and health authorities in Austria, Switzerland, and the UK. There are apprehensions that unscrupulous brokers relabelled these contaminated products before selling them off to China and India, while earning millions of dollars, and endangering many lives.

A confidential investigation by Wilbert Bannenberg of the South African Drug Action Programme for the country's Department of Health concluded in May this year that exports of infected serum and blood plasma, although labelled "unfit for human use", had taken place during 1990-2000.

Although the London Sunday Times recently attributed Bannenberg's report to WHO, the UN agency has denied that it is involved. Bannenberg's report conceded that substantial exports were being made to plasma brokers allegedly implicated in illegal practices in Europe and that current controls on the plasma trade in South Africa were inadequate. Although the report found that no South African laws seemed to have been violated, the possibility of such violations in other countries was not ruled out.

South Africa has been exporting plasma for many years. From 1983-86, human plasma was falsely labelled "animal plasma" and illegally exported to Europe. This illegal practice resulted in a court case and one conviction in Belgium. In 1996, Austrian police seized 4000 L of infected blood from a Linz-based company, Albovina.

The Sunday Times report said that Austrian officials have investigated two British companies, based in Guernsey and Berkshire. Police are still trying to find out where the companies' plasma products were used. Johann Kurz, head of unit for biologicals with the federal Ministry of Social Security & Generation in Vienna, Austria, told The Lancet, "We suspect that in 1996 and earlier, some products coming from South Africa were transferred to India, China, and Hong Kong, among other countries". The products were albumin and intravenous immunoglobulins.

Nevertheless, Luc Noel, Coordinator of Blood Safety with the WHO in Geneva, Switzerland, emphasised that: "There should not be any confusion of the transfusion services in South Africa--which are now world class--with these criminal activities". While it is important that this trafficking is exposed, the public can be confident in their blood services, Noel added.

Kirsten Myhr, MScPharm, MPH Bygdøy alle 58B 0265 Oslo, Norway Tel.: +47 22 56 05 85, fax: +47 22 24 90 17 myhr@online.no

Following that message thread I posted was the following comment:

Whilst I recognise the moderator's comments appended to my last mailing on this, what I was trying to point out was that in spite of words to the effect in the press release that traditional medicines must undergo tests of efficacy, safety and quality, Dr Samba was then quoted as saying, based on an observation at one facility, that what he saw provided concrete evidence that the traditional medicines being used were effective (in HIV/AIDS in this case) and funding will be provided on this basis (this is not quite what was said but was certainly implied).

There is no doubt that there are effective traditional medicines and I support the efforts being made to identify them, but conflicting statements such as contained in the press release do not help the cause.

Regards Douglas Ball Drug & Toxicology Information Service Dept of Pharmacy University of Zimbabwe PO Box A178 Avondale Harare, Zimbabwe Tel: 263-4-790233 Fax: 263-4-790233 or 795019 e-mail: dball@healthnet.zw

In other words, hush?

The follow up message to that in this eDrugs thread:

Reprinted under the fair use doctrine of international copyright law:

Austria investigates allegations of tainted-blood exports

Lancet 2000; 356: 919 - 922 (9 September)

The trail of blood plasma infected with HIV, hepatitis, and syphilis
exported from
South Africa to European companies is being investigated by the police and
health
authorities in Austria, Switzerland, and the UK. There are apprehensions
that
unscrupulous brokers relabelled these contaminated products before selling
them
off to China and India, while earning millions of dollars, and endangering
many
lives.

A confidential investigation by Wilbert Bannenberg of the South African
Drug Action
Programme for the country's Department of Health concluded in May this year
that
exports of infected serum and blood plasma, although labelled "unfit for
human
use", had taken place during 1990-2000.

Although the London Sunday Times recently attributed Bannenberg's report to
WHO, the UN agency has denied that it is involved. Bannenberg's report
conceded that substantial exports were being made to plasma brokers
allegedly
implicated in illegal practices in Europe and that current controls on the
plasma
trade in South Africa were inadequate. Although the report found that no
South
African laws seemed to have been violated, the possibility of such
violations in
other countries was not ruled out.

South Africa has been exporting plasma for many years. From 1983-86, human
plasma was falsely labelled "animal plasma" and illegally exported to
Europe.
This illegal practice resulted in a court case and one conviction in
Belgium. In 1996,
Austrian police seized 4000 L of infected blood from a Linz-based company,
Albovina.

The Sunday Times report said that Austrian officials have investigated two
British
companies, based in Guernsey and Berkshire. Police are still trying to find
out
where the companies' plasma products were used. Johann Kurz, head of unit
for
biologicals with the federal Ministry of Social Security & Generation in
Vienna,
Austria, told The Lancet, "We suspect that in 1996 and earlier, some
products
coming from South Africa were transferred to India, China, and Hong Kong,
among
other countries". The products were albumin and intravenous
immunoglobulins.

Nevertheless, Luc Noel, Coordinator of Blood Safety with the WHO in Geneva,
Switzerland, emphasised that: "There should not be any confusion of the
transfusion services in South Africa--which are now world class--with these
criminal
activities". While it is important that this trafficking is exposed, the
public can be
confident in their blood services, Noel added.

Sanjay Kumar

Kirsten Myhr, MScPharm, MPH
Bygdøy alle 58B
0265 Oslo, Norway
Tel.: +47 22 56 05 85, fax: +47 22 24 90 17
myhr@online.no

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