The Hindu : International : End to blood donation row

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 05, 2004

International

International

End to blood donation row

Johannesburg: South Africa is to stop racially profiling blood donors after an outcry over the alleged rejection of blood from black donors because of the risk of HIV. The Health Ministry and the South African National Blood Service agreed on Friday that a donor's colour should not be used to determine the risk of infected blood. The row flared this week when the Health Minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, discovered that alongside sexual practices and healthiness of lifestyle, the blood service used skin colour to evaluate safety for donation. ``It smacks of racism,'' she said. More than 5 million South Africans are estimated to have the virus which causes AIDS, more than any other country. According to some figures, black people are at least twice as likely to be infected as white people.. ``The current risk-rating model needs to be reviewed as a matter of urgency,'' a Ministry spokesman said.

Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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