WHO lauds UAE for ensuring clean blood donation

Abu Dhabi, July 7, 2008 (WAM) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that the UAE and China have made great achievement in getting rid of risk of contracting various diseases from contaminated blood from blood donors, adding that the two countries boast of 100% disease-free blood donation scheme.

The organisation urged the two countries to boost up their system to
make them a role model for others to follow.

This came in a WHO report issued at the end of the World Blood Donation
Week, which the UAE organised this year under the auspices of UAE President,
H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

According to Dr. Amin bin Hussein Al-Amiri, Executive Director for Medical
Practices Affairs and Medical License at the Ministry of Health and Chairman
of the National Higher Committee for Blood Transfusion, the UAE is the first
country in the region to have stopped the importation of blood in 1984
following the discovery of HIV/AIDS and other contagious viruses.

He said the government set up in 1990 a national programme for blood
transfusion and put in place legislative and political measures to move to a
system that would ensure 100% voluntary and free blood donation, adding that
this rapid achievement was made possible following the creation of
conductive political and legislative policies, boosting the culture of
voluntary blood donation and the use of the media and other channels to
spread awareness.