Stricter Anti-AIDS Measures Needed for Indian Blood Banks: Minister

Today in Madras, Health Minister Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss called for expanded efforts to reduce the number of people in India who contract HIV through contaminated blood transfusions. India needs rigorous testing to ensure that HIV-infected blood does not slip through screening, he said.

"In the 1990s, 8 percent of new HIV cases were found to be caused by a blood transfusion," Ramadoss told conferees at a meeting organized by the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion. "After public awareness and monitoring, the incidence has now come down to a little over 3 percent, which is very much on the higher side ... our aim is to bring the figure down to zero or less than 1 percent.

"There are 1,800 registered blood banks in India and they have to lay more emphasis on supplying safe blood to the community," Ramadoss said.

Earlier this month, the news that 280 blood donors, mostly security personnel, were found to be HIV-positive in the northeastern state of Tripura prompted fears that supplies from blood banks in the region might be contaminated.

Proper testing procedures were not being followed at most Indian blood banks, said a report by India's comptroller and auditor general: "Of the 40 items of medical equipment required by blood banks to screen blood, the available items at the time of the audit ranged from four to 12."

India's official count of 5.1 million HIV infections is considered conservative by nongovernmental groups working on AIDS programs.

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