%0 Journal Article
%T Rising HIV infection through blood transfusion worries Nigerian health experts.
%A Raufu A
%J AIDS Anal Afr
%V 11
%N 1
%D Jun-Jul 2000
%M 12349722
暂无%X Blood transfusion is the second largest source of HIV infection in Nigeria, after unprotected sex.  The major reason for this problem is the proliferation of illegal and lucrative blood banks that were being established.  It has been discovered that most of these blood banks rely on "blood touts" for the supply of blood, which is later sold to needy patients.  Lack of modern testing equipment and few private hospitals and government hospitals screening blood that is meant for transfusion compounded this problem.  In response to the menace of unscreened blood for transfusion, the Lagos State Government declared a law to regulate blood transfusions and the activities of blood banks in the State.  The objectives of this law were to curb the activities of owners of blood banks who were peddling unscreened blood to unsuspecting patients.  Among the provisions of the law was that medical laboratories and hospitals that have blood banks should register their blood donors at any of the screening centers in the State. This law further prescribed fines and imprisonment for offenders. The law, however, turned out to be unenforceable because the reagents and testing equipment required were largely unavailable. It is noted that in the absence of a national blood transfusion policy, most blood banks continue to sell unscreened blood; in turn, HIV infections in Nigeria continue to rise.