Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. South Africa
  • News

Blood service system "smacks of racism" - health minister

    JOHANNESBURG

    The South African National Blood Service (SANBS), will no longer base donors' risk of HIV infection on race, after Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the SANBS policy "smacks of racism", London's Guardian newspaper reported.

    In a system used by the SANBS, regular donors who were white or Indian were deemed Category 1 - or at lowest risk of HIV or other diseases - while black donors were classified as either Category 3 or Category 4 because HIV and hepatitis were thought to be "more widespread" among blacks.

    However, it was unclear how the agency classified the blood, as donors were not asked to give their race when they donated blood.

    Robert Crookes, SANBS's medical director, maintained the system was the "most logical, medical, ethical and legally defensible" available.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join